Godavari In Spate At Bhadrachalam, Crosses Third Warning Level

The Godavari river reached the third level flood warning at Bhadrachalam in Telangana on Monday, prompting authorities to sound alerts across the course of the river.

Following heavy rain in the catchment areas in Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the water level rose sharply at Bhadrachalam to touch 53 feet as of 4 pm on Monday, breaching the third flood warning level of 53 feet.

The Bhadrachalam Sub-Collector in a message to the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district Collector and Bhadrachalam ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Project Officer said that the forecast indicated a further rise in the water level, and directed all flood-duty officers to take action as per the Godavari flood manual.

The irrigation officials have lifted 22 gates of the Taliperu project located at Cherla mandal in Khammam district and released 52,685 cusecs of water downstream.

Meanwhile, all irrigation projects constructed across the river Godavari in north Telangana have been receiving heavy inflows from their catchment areas.

The Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) in Nizamabad, the Swarna and Kaddem projects in Adilabad, and the Sripada Yellampalli in Peddapalli are brimming with water.

According to officials, the inflows to the projects are expected to increase significantly in the next few days as the India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains.

A red alert was issued for eight districts - Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Mancherial, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Adilabad and Hyderabad.