The water level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (SAC-Dowleswaram) is inching close to the danger mark with the discharge of nearly 19 lakh cusecs of the flood water here.
By Monday afternoon, the level of 17.50 feet was recorded at the SAC with the discharge of 18.93 lakh cusecs of flood water into the sea through its branches – Gowthami and Vasista.
The ‘Third Warning’ of Godavari flood will be declared when the flood water level reaches 17.75 feet at the SAC, according to the office of the Godavari Flood Conservator (SAC-Andhra Pradesh).
“The river runs at a higher level than adjacent lands ranging from 3.0 meters to 8.0 meters height during the flood. Due to this reason, the entire length of 535 km. of flood bank (in East and West Godavari districts) needs continuous monitoring round the clock to maintain flow of the flood with the flood banks and guard the adjacent habitations and crops”, said Flood Contingency Plan for River Godavari-2020 advisory.
The Irrigation authorities are releasing 5,500 cusecs into the delta canals; 2,500 cusecs into the Eastern delta, 2,000 cusecs into the Western Delta and ,1000 cusecs into the Central delta.
The branches of river Godavari downstream the SAC are in full flow before their confluence point into Bay of Bengal. Gowthami, flows South-Eastern direction, divides into two branches – Vridha Gowthami and Coringa – and confluences into the sea at Yanam and Kakinada Bay.
The 47-km length of Vasista, another branch of river Godavari, divides into two branches – Vynateya and Vasista, which confluences into Kakinada Bay and Narasapuram respectively.
Receiving end
The letting of the flood water into the branches of river Godavari posed a major threat of flood in a stretch of island villages in Konaseema region - Ganti Pedapudi Lanka, Voodimoodi Lanka, Aratigelavaripeta, Boorugu Lanka, Gurajapu Lanka, Lanka of Thane as the flood water entered these habitations.
B.C.Welfare Minister Ch.Venu Gopala Krishna and East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy inspected the flood situation in P. Gannavaram mandal in the Konaseema region. “All the precautionary measures are in place to avoid any human loss due to flood in Konaseema region as it will witness huge inflow of flood water”, said Mr. Venu Gopala Krishna.
The last time, Godavari waters flowed above danger mark was in August 2013 when the flood level was 19 feet over the crest of the SAC Barrage at Dowleswaram. In August 1990, it was 23.75 feet, and in August 2006, it was 22.80 feet. The highest flood level of 35 feet was recorded during the 1986 flood.
