The majestic Godavari River continued to flow just above its first flood warning mark of 43 feet in the sacred town of Bhadrachalam throughout Saturday night.
A substantial release of water from dams further upstream has caused the Godavari’s levels to surge significantly. Over the past 48 hours, this rise has been observed across several revered temple towns situated along the river in Telangana, including Basar, Dharmapuri, Kaleshwaram, and Bhadrachalam.
By 8 p.m. on Saturday, the river’s water level at Bhadrachalam remained a few notches above 43 feet, indicating a massive flow of approximately 9.60 lakh cusecs of floodwaters.
Adding to the concerns, intense rainfall in the catchment areas along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border has also contributed to a rapid increase in the water level of the Taliperu River, a significant tributary of the Godavari, within the Charla mandal of the Bhadrachalam Agency.
Consequently, all 20 crest gates of the Taliperu reservoir in Charla mandal were opened on Saturday to manage the excess water and prevent further accumulation downstream.