With consistent rain across Andhra Pradesh leading to fresh floods in river Godavari and the rising water level in Krishna, the authorities have announced a high alert in the flood-hit areas.
Officials said that the death toll in various rain related mishaps in the State over the last one week has risen to 21. Venkata Rao died when his house collapsed in Ungtur in West Godavari district, a 15-year-old girl Shailaja was washed away in Muttaram rivulent in Khammam district and six people were killed in a wall collapse in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Another girl died when her two-wheeler slid on the road due to the rain water and a bus crushed her. Central Water Commission officials said that Godavari was flowing at the level of 53 feet and it is likely to go cross three feet danger mark by Thursday.
Meteorological Center in Hyderabad has warned of heavier rains in ten districts of Andhra Pradesh, especially in Telangana and coastal Andhra over the next 48 hours under the influence of depression over Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas. What has left the weather officials and the experts astounded is that the State was experiencing unabated rains for almost two weeks now and the North Telangana region has borne the brunt of it. “This indicates a change in the rain pattern. The rainfall we have witnessed this year during August - September used to be in June-July period”, said TR Kolanu, an expert.
According to sources, almost 15% more than normal rainfall so far and the irrigation projects on river Godavari are overflowing. Almost 1.8 million cusecs of water was being discharged in to the sea from Cotton Barrage over Godavari. Hundreds of villages were marooned in Khammam and West and East Godavari districts due to the incessant rain and flooding of rivulets.
Situation in Krishna basin was also improving as more water was filling the massive Srisailam reservoir. Officials said that the reservoir was receiving 156,000 cusecs of water and the level had touched 828.10 feet.
Electricity supply to the villages was also affected. Normal life was paralysed in Bhadrachalam town.
Similarly the flooded rivulets had also cut-off the road links to other towns and villages in the district.