Telangana: People Evacuated From Low-Lying Areas In Bhadrachalam As Godavari Swells Due To Heavy Rains

The authorities on Thursday sounded a third flood warning at Bhadrachalam, which is located on the banks of river Godavari. People in the low-lying areas are evacuated and shifted to safe places

New Delhi: Torrential rains in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana threw life out of gear for people, especially those living on the banks of Godavari and Krishna rivers. Heavy rains in the catchment areas of the Godavari river led to massive floods which have brought towns and cities of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to a standstill.

After the second warning was issued on Wednesday at Dowleswaram barrage in Rajahmundry on the Godavari river, the authorities on Thursday sounded a third flood warning at Bhadrachalam, which is located on the banks of river Godavari. People in the low-lying areas are evacuated and shifted to safe places, said a news agency ANI report.

After filling all the major irrigation projects in north Telangana, the irrigation department has released the water to downstream. Reaching Full Reservoir Level of 700 ft in Kadem reservoir in Adilabad, officials on Wednesday issued a red alert to villagers living on the banks of the river. If there is an increment in the water level in the catchment areas, the teams would help evacuate people from the villages located in low-lying areas.

At Bhadrachalam, river Godavari reached a third flood warning level of 53 feet on Wednesday.  Bhadrachalam District Collector Anudeep Durishetty said there would be a possibility of further rise of water level up to 63 feet, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Meanwhile, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday announced the extension of holidays for schools and colleges till July 16 (Saturday) and the educational institutions would reopen on July 18 (Monday).