Godavari flood warning withdrawn after inflows into the river recede

Godavari flood warning withdrawn, crop damage assessment underway, relief efforts intensified in flood-hit areas of Andhra Pradesh.

The first Godavari flood warning was withdrawn on Friday after the inflow into the river was reported below 10 lakh cusecs at Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district. By Friday evening, the inflow at Dowleswaram was 8.5 lakh cusecs.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar on Friday directed the officials to complete the field inspection to enumerate the crop damage and display the reports at the gram panchayat offices for further changes. 

The officials have been told to submit the final report on the crop damage by August 10. The compensation would be offered to the crops, primarily agriculture and horticulture, with 33% of damage reported during the two spells of the Godavari flood. The crop damage has been reported in the 12 mandals in the Konaseema region as per the preliminary reports. 

In Chintoor agency in Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district, the flood level has receded both in the Godavari and the Sabari. However, the affected people, mostly members of the Koya and Konda Reddi tribes, would remain in the relief camps as their habitations would not be suitable to resume the life immediately. 

It is expected to take a few days to clear the roadways and the houses of the affected families. The houses that were under the sheet of floodwater for more than a week should be cleaned as a layer of soil has been deposited.  

ASR District Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar has directed the officials to intensify the distribution of flood relief to the affected families and maintain better sanitary conditions and provide safe drinking water to prevent the spread of diseases. 

The roads on the borders of the Andhra-Odisha and Andhra-Chhattisgarh have been opened and all the bus services have been resumed via Chintoor town. The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Chintoor) authorities are enumerating the loss of houses and assets of the tribals in the flood-hit areas.