Flood threat looms over Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

Meanwhile, twelve fishermen who had ventured into the Bay of Bengal from the south coastal Andhra district of Kakinada, have gone missing, and government authorities have launched a search operation for them.

By P.s. Jayaram

Published: Tue 23 Jun 2015, 11:14 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:59 PM

Hyderabad: Heavy rains continued to lash the two Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the third consecutive day on Monday, and the threat of flood looming large with Godavari river in spate. At least five persons are reported to have died in rain-related incidents in the two States.

Several villages in the two states, particularly in East Godavari district of AP and Khamman district of Telangana were marooned as flood waters from the swollen tributaries of Godavari and other rivulets gushed in.

According to sources, the water level in Godavari at Bhadrachalam in Khammam district rose to 38 feet by noon on Monday, inundating many villages along the banks. With heavy rains lashing upstream Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh states and met department forecasting continued downpour, officials expect more inflows by the evening.

Meanwhile, twelve fishermen who had ventured into the Bay of Bengal from the south coastal Andhra district of Kakinada, have gone missing, and government authorities have launched a search operation for them. In all, about 20 boats returned safely while another 15 are reportedly still at sea.

According to East Godavari district collector Arun Kumar, the district administration has requested Reliance Industries, ONGC and Cairn Energy India Ltd to deploy their helicopters to locate the boats following directions to this effect from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Besides the three choppers owned by these companies, two Coast Guard ships were also pressed into service in the search operation, he said. Meanwhile, the chief minister reviewed the situation in the state with his cabinet colleagues and top officials in the wake of incessant rains. The officials have been asked to remain alert in the wake of heavy flow of water to Godavari due to rains in Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

In Telangana, heavy downpour in upstream Chhattisgarh led to flood situation at Taliperu reservoir across Taliperu river, a tributary of Godavari river in Khammam district. Officials opened 22 gates of the project to let out 100,000 cusecs of water downstream. Flash floods in Cheekupalli stream in the same district also inundated low-level causeway, cutting off road connectivity to surrounding villages.

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