PNS|Eluru
The flood situation along the Godavari River remains critical as heavy inflows continued on Friday.
The water level at Polavaram project spillway has reached 32.80 meters, while the upper cofferdam of the Polavaram project recorded a level of 33.320 meters. With 7,69,415 cusecs of water being released downstream from the Polavaram project spillway, the situation remains highly challenging.
At the Dowleswaram Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, the water level stood at 11.74 feet, leading to the discharge of approximately 9 lakh cusecs of water into the sea. In response to the emergency, district Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh visited Yekkaboru village in Velerupadu mandal on Friday, which has been heavily affected by the floods.
Addressing the media, the Collector emphasized the evacuation of residents living in low-lying areas to safer locations. Due to the flooding, road
connectivity has been disrupted in 16 villages of Velerupadu mandal and one village in Kukkunur mandal, effectively isolating the affected communities.
To prevent loss of life and property, the authorities have identified submergence-prone villages and shifted the residents to relief camps. Moreover, two teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been prepared, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are en route to assist in the relief operations.
A danger signal has been hoisted at Bhadrachalam, prompting the Eluru district government to remain on high alert. Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) have been instructed to be available round the clock to attend to the needs of flood-affected individuals. The Collector assured the public that essential supplies, including rice and other necessities, will be provided to those affected by the floods.
Efforts are going on to maintain hygienic conditions and ensure access to drinking water in the relief camps. Additionally, medical camps have been established, and anti-venom injections are readily available to treat snakebite victims.
Collector Prasanna Venkatesh confirmed that boats and expert swimmers are on standby for swift action, if necessary. Alongside the Collector, Superintendent of Police Mary Prashanti, Joint Collector B Lavanya Veni, and RDO Jhansi Rani were present during the visit to the affected areas. The relief camps will continue to operate until floodwaters recede, ensuring the safety and well-being of those displaced by the disaster.
