Officials ensuring that street lights are in working order, as part of preparedness measures for the expected floods in the Godavari, in Kunavaram mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The officials of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Chintoor), Revenue and Police Departments have launched precautionary measures to tackle the first spell of the Godavari flood to be hit in the submergence area of the Polavaram irrigation project in the Godavari valley.

The rise in the inflow of water in the Godavari and Sabari rivers has been a signal for the first spell of Godavari floods in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.

ITDA-Chintoor Project Officer Kavuri Chaitanya and Rampachodavaram ASP (Operations) K.V. Maheswara Reddy have directed officials to arrange boats and identify places for rehabilitation camps to be opened, if the flood hits the Chintoor Agency. 

Yetapaka, Kunavaram and V.R. Puram mandals would initially be submerged during the flood. V.R. Puram and Kunavaram are the pockets to be hit by the floods if inflows from the Sabari continue to rise.

“The flood mitigation measures have begun in Kunavaram mandal. Preparations are on to arrange boats for the shifting of the affected people,” said PO Kavuri Chaitanya. By July 7, the water level is 26 metres at the spillway at the Polavaram irrigation project. In Konaseema, the officials are also on alert to tackle the expected floods.