Water still flows waste into sea

In just 20 days of flash floods in the Godavari,

2,000 tmc ft of water was discharged into the sea from the Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleswaram.

Nearly 3,000 tmc ft of Godavari water gets discharged into the sea during the flood season from June to September or October every year. This season, following heavy rainfall in catchment areas, the river has received huge inflows from August 10 to 30. Water resources authorities say that nearly

2,200 tmc ft of water has been let out into the sea from June, and 22.5 to 23 lakh cusecs of water have been discharged during the peak flood period for several days.

As water levels at Bhadrachalam are rising again, recorded at 38.40 ft with a discharge of 6.06 lakh cusecs at 6 pm, authorities are expecting the water level at the Cotton barrage to rise and the discharge of 2.5 lakh to go up to 8 lakh.

Up to three tmc ft of water can be stored in the pond at the barrage.

Nearly 200 to 300 tmc ft of water can be utilised for cultivation of crops by releasing water through distributary canals — eastern, western and central delta canals — in Godavari district.

The rest of the water is allowed to flow into the Bay of Bengal by lifting all 175 crest gates in the four arms of the bar

rage.

Godavari river conservator R. Mohana Rao said, “Normally, the flood season ends by the end of August and we are not expecting further floods to the river except a rise in water levels at the barrage in the next few days following rainfall in its catchment areas.”

Though critics flayed the government for the inordinate delay in the execution of Polavaram irrigation project for varied reasons, its completion will help save only 354 tmc ft of water as it can store just 194 tmc ft while both the left main canal and right main canal of the project can carry 80 tmc ft of water, each helping cultivation of crops in about 7.20 lakh acres. No major reservoirs have been planned along both the canals for water storage in case the river witnesses floods and the need arises to store water.

Meanwhile, as flood water submerged all approach roads to the Polavaram project, work has been temporarily stopped and the authorities are making efforts to restore approach roads.

Polavaram project chief engineer B. Sudhakar Babu said, “Once the flood water recedes at the project area, we will resume work. We are also trying to get workers from Chhattisgarh, Odisha and other areas back to work as some of them went away due to the pandemic.