Heavy rains continue to lash AP, Telangana

Thanks to the incessant rains over Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the last five days, the two major rivers — Godavari and Krishna — were forcing the authorities to discharge water into the sea from the Prakasham barrage.Many other rivers and rivulets were also brimming with water bringing cheers to the farming community.While River Godavari, abetted by the heavy inflows from the neighbouring States of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra was flowing above danger mark at Bhadrachalam district of Khammam, River Krishna was in spate at Prakasham barrage near Vijaywada.The Godavari was flowing at 40 feet at Bhadrachalam around noon on Monday raising the fears of floods in and around the temple town. Officials said that if the level continues to rise they will have to issue the first warning of floods.

With rivulets bringing in more waters from Chattisgarh and Maharashtra water level was likely to go up. “70 villages in Khammam district were already cut off because of the rising levels of water”, an official said.Khammam was one of the worst hit districts by the heavy rains as downpour continued for the fifth consecutive day on Monday.  Vajedu recorded 23.2 cms of rainfall. Chikupally rivulet was flowing 10 feet above a causeway in the area cutting off several villages.Telangana Road and Buildings Minister T Nageshwara Rao inspected the Maneru canal in view of the heavy inflows and directed the irrigation officials to be on alert against the possibility of floods.Authorities in coastal Andhra have heaved a sigh of relief over the heavy inflows in to river Godavari at East Godavari district in view of the forthcoming Godavari Pushakaram festival. They were worried till now at the lack of water in the river as it would have made holy dip by the pilgrims difficult.

At the same time, the farmers in Konaseema region were worried over the rising levels of Godavari at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage near Rajahmundry. With the water level reaching 7.2 feet all the 175 crest gates of the barrage were opened to discharge water in to Bay of Bengal.level of Krishna river at Barrage had crossed 12 feet with an inflow of 59558 cusecs and outflow of 57500 cusecs. Authorities have opened 10 gates of the barrage upto one feet and ten gates up to 2 feet to discharge the water in to the sea.The Meteorological Center at Hyderabad has warned of more rains over Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as the monsoon was vigorous and there was also a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal from the coast of Odisha to southern Tamil Nadu. There will be gale winds with a speed of 45 to 50 kms along the coast of southern Andhra, it said.

Authorities have hosted danger mark number three form Kalingapatanam to Machlipatanam and warned the fishermen not to venture in to the sea.

Heavy rains have caused extensive damages to the public property at many places in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh cutting off villages and disrupting the normal life. Heavy rains accompanied by gale winds caused extensive damages on Sunday night in parts of Krishna district. Electricity poles and trees were uprooted in Nuzvidu and a pillar of a temple collapsed in Jaggaiahpet.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh deputy Chief Minister China Rajappa said that three helicopters were pressed into service to trace the missing boats of fishermen in the Bay. As the sea condition was calm, he hoped that all the missing fishermen will reach the coast safely 15 such boats with fishermen reached the coast of Kakinada on Monday morning.  While Krishna was in full flow in downstream areas closer to the sea there was not much inflow in to river Krishna in the upper areas of Telangana and Rayalaseema and there was not much inflows in the major dams of Jurala, Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar.