Sabari Swells in Polavaram, 135 Relief Camps Set Up in Chintoor Agency
Authorities have readied 135 relief camps in Chintoor agency as the Sabari and Sileru rivers swell with heavy inflows from upstream catchments.
At least 135 relief camps have been positioned along the banks of the Sabari in the Chintoor agency of Polavaram district after the river's inflows rose sharply on Saturday.
The Sabari and the Sileru have been drawing heavy inflows over the past four days, fed by rain in their catchment areas in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The Sabari enters Andhra Pradesh at Chintoor and travels more than 30 km before meeting the Godavari at Kunavaram.
District Collector K. Dinesh Kumar toured flood-affected villages in V.R. Puram and Kunavaram mandals on Saturday. Officials said 161 villages along the Sabari could be hit if inflows into the Sabari and the Godavari climb further.
As a precaution, 10 pregnant women have been moved to nearby hospitals, while another 101 pregnant women in the Chintoor agency have been told to remain ready for shifting to hospital.
The water level at the Chintoor bridge was recorded at 43.5 feet on Saturday and is expected to rise over the next 24 hours.
Joint Collector S. Prasanth Kumar, Chintoor Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer Subham Nokwal and other officials are tracking the flood situation and the distribution of essential commodities.
Downstream at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district, the Godavari remained below its first flood warning level.