Godavari on the rise at Bhadrachalam as Taliperu swells in upstream Charla mandal

The Godavari began rising at Bhadrachalam with the water level nearing the first warning mark of 43 feet late on Sunday evening.

According to sources, the river stood at 42.80 feet at the temple town at 8 p.m., with a discharge of 9.22 lakh cusecs. Aided by inflows from tributaries particularly the Taliperu, the level rose from 36.60 feet at 1 a.m. to 42.80 feet by evening. The water level was expected to remain stable for the next few hours as rains eased in most upper reaches of the river, sources said.

The Taliperu reservoir in Charla mandal, however, continued to receive significant inflows from its catchment areas in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Six spillway gates of Taliperu medium irrigation project were opened earlier in the day, releasing floodwaters downstream into the Godavari.

Meanwhile, paddy nurseries belonging to several farmers were reportedly damaged in Kashinagaram, Pragallapalli and various other villages in Dummugudem mandal of Bhadrachalam Agency following heavy rains over the past three days. Water stagnation in several paddy fields in some of these villages left farmers distressed, even as the rains brought relief to farmers elsewhere in the district after a prolonged dry spell.