Godavari Flood Fury Intensifies.. Third Warning at Bhadrachalam

Heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas has pushed the Godavari River into a dangerous flood situation, with the water level at Bhadrachalam rising to 56.2 feet, prompting the continuation of the third flood warning. The confluence of the Godavari and Sabari rivers has inundated several villages in Etapaka, Kunavaram, VR Puram and Chintoor mandals of Polavaram district. Floodwaters have submerged National Highways 30 and 326, disrupting road connectivity between Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Around 24,000 people have been identified as affected, while 1,668 residents from 608 families have been shifted to relief camps.

Floodwaters have also impacted parts of Eluru and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts, leaving several villages cut off. Hundreds of houses have been inundated, and rescue teams are using boats and tractors to evacuate residents. At the Polavaram Project, nearly 1.2 million cusecs of water are being discharged through all 48 spillway gates. Authorities have issued the second flood warning at the Dowleswaram Barrage and warned that the flood situation could worsen in the coming hours as rescue and relief operations continue.