Telangana flood crisis worsens as Godavari rises; Khammam in darkness

The flood situation in Telangana is set to worsen as the swollen Godavari steadily rose after heavy discharge of water from upper catchment areas as well as tributaries in neighbouring Maharashtra.

Officials said the river waters were rising in several places, adding to the woes of the already flood-ravaged people in Telangana.

There have been increased discharges from various projects in the river basin, the officials said.

Water, water everywhere

The flood levels at Bhadrachalam were anticipated to reach critical warning points within 24 hours, media reports said.

In Mulugu district, the Godavari began flowing over the National Highway 163 — which links Hyderabad with Bhupalapatnam in Chhattisgarh — at Tekulagudem, forcing authorities to suspend all road traffic.

The Sriram Sagar project is experiencing steady increases in inflows from the river’s upper reaches, with 41 of its 42 gates opened to manage the flood flow.

Tributaries adding to water flow

The Sripada Yellampalli project is receiving over 4.78 lakh cusecs, with outflows around 5.3 lakh cusecs.

Downstream, tributaries such as Taliperu, Kinnerasani and Sabari were adding significantly to the flood flow, the reports said.

The first spell of flooding in the Godavari was primarily due to contributions from the Pranahita and other downstream tributaries. This time there are major inflows from tributaries in Maharashtra as well.

Belongings washed away

Although the Krishna river’s water level has seen a slight fall, the situation in many residential colonies in Khammam city and surrounding areas remains grim.

After unprecedented floods in Munneru on Sunday, an estimated 17,000 families have been badly affected.

As flood water receded, residents salvaged their damaged household belongings and began cleaning their houses covered with garbage and dirt due to flooded rivers.

No power and water in Khammam

Residents in many areas complained that they were without running water and electricity for some days. Very few municipal water tankers were available for the thousands of residents.

Some charitable organisations and individuals donated food items, but many residents could not cook as utensils were washed away in the floods.

People also complained about lost official and bank documents as well as the destruction of textbooks, notebooks, and certificates of school and college students in the floods.