Rajahmundry: With the Godavari river continuing to remain in spate, a first warning has been issued at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowlaiswaram. The water level has reached 11.80 feet and irrigation authorities are releasing 10.11 lakh cusecs from the barrage by lifting all 175 gates. At Bhadrachalam, water is receding steadily and the first warning has been withdrawn.
In East Godavari district, 20 villages under Chinturu ITDA have been affected by the floods. Backwaters from the Polavaram project have entered Kolluru, Gonduru and Thammileru villages. Roads in four merged Agency mandals are blocked at nine places due to overflowing streams. As many as 33 villages are cut off due to backwaters from Polavaram project entering in Devipatnam mandal in East Godavari.
In West Godavari district, flood waters villages upstream of the Polavaram project. Several villages in Polavaram, Kukkunuru and Vererupadu mandals are surrounded by flood waters and transportation to 19 villages in Polavaram mandal alone has been cut off. West Godavari district joint collector Himanshu Shukla is at Polavaram, monitoring the situation.