AP CM conducts aerial survey of flood-hit Polavaram,Devipatnam

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit Polavaram and Devipatnam regions in East and West Godavari districts, even as the water level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram crossed the second danger mark.

Over 13.47 lakh cusecs of floodwater was flowing into the SAC Barrage on the Godavari and that much was being discharged into the Delta canal systems and Bay of Bengal, according to offifials.

At Polavaram, water level increased to 27.86 metres and it was rising due to heavy inflow from upstream Bhadrachalam, where the first warning signal was issued.

On his return from New Delhi, the chief minister conducted the aerial survey by helicopter and later held a review meeting with ministers and officials at Rajamahendravaram airport.

Jagan announced a special relief of Rs 5,000 to each flood-affected family which have lost their livelihood.

More than 70 per cent of the inundated villages were tribal habitations, he pointed out.

He asked officials to supply essential commodities to families in inundated villages as well as those marooned.

Besides paying compensation for crop loss, the chief minister directed officials to supply fresh seeds free-of-cost.

Jagan asked officials to take the water flow at Polavaram project construction site as the benchmark for calculating the flood threat and take preventive steps accordingly in future.

He wanted rehabilitation and resettlement works in the Polavaram submergence villages taken up in an expeditious manner on a priority basis.

An IAS officer was appointed exclusively to oversee 'Polavaram R and R works' and expedite them, the chief minister added.

Deputy chief ministers P S C Bose, A K K Srinivas, ministers K Kanna Babu, P Anil Kumar Yadav, MPs and MLAs participated in the review meeting.

Meanwhile, the floodwaters in the Vamsadhara in Srikakulam district started receding since Thursday afternoon.

The flood flow at Gotta Barrage on Vamsadhara fell to 83,509 cusecs at 5 pm, following which the third warning signal was reduced to second.

The flood warning signal at Thotapalli Barrage on the Nagavali was withdrawn as the discharge fell to 29,000 cusecs, according to the State Disaster Management Authority.

The Srikakulam district administration opened 11 relief camps in three 'mandals', where 3,297 people were accommodated and provided food.

Mandals are smaller revenue units than talukas or tehsils. A taluka is made up of several mandals.

NDRF, SDRF and state Fire Services personnel were on duty, carrying out relief operations in the flood-hit mandals of Srikakulam district, according to Collector J Nivas.

NDRF and SDRF teams were continuing their operations in West and East Godavari districts as several villages continued to remain inundated or marooned.

Srisailam reservoir on the Krishna river continued to get copious inflows from upstream projects like Almatti and Jurala.

The water level at Srisailam stood at 876.5 feet on Thursday evening, inching closer to the full reservoir level of 885 feet, officials said.

It is currently holding 170.66 tmc ft as the inflow crossed 3.24 lakh cusecs.

Accordingly, 96,916 tmc ft of water was being let out in different canal systems under Srisailam and also used for power generation at the left and right bank generating stations.

Consequently, the parched Nagarjuna Sagar dam downstream was receiving an inflow of about 75,000 cusecs.

It is, however, too meagre to fill the dam as there is still a flood cushion of 174 tmc ft.