Godavari nears first warning mark at Bhadrachalam as Taliperu swells

The Godavari is in spate at Bhadrachalam, with the river level closing in on the first warning mark of 43 feet late on Sunday evening.

At 8 p.m., the river stood at 42.80 feet at the temple town, carrying a discharge of 9.22 lakh cusecs. The rise was sharp through the day: the level moved from 36.60 feet at 1 a.m. to 42.80 feet by evening, helped by inflows from tributaries, most notably the Taliperu.

With rain easing across most upper reaches of the river, the water level is expected to hold steady over the next few hours.

Upstream in Charla mandal, the Taliperu reservoir continued to draw heavy inflows from its catchment areas in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Six spillway gates of the Taliperu medium irrigation project were opened earlier in the day, sending floodwaters downstream into the Godavari.

The heavy spell of the past three days has also left a trail of damage in parts of the Bhadrachalam Agency. Paddy nurseries belonging to several farmers were reported damaged in Kashinagaram, Pragallapalli and other villages of Dummugudem mandal, where standing water in paddy fields has left cultivators distressed.

Elsewhere in the district, the rains have brought relief to farmers after a prolonged dry spell.