Flood Control Room Activated as Godavari Crosses First Warning Level in Bhadrachalam

Quick Summary

• A flood alert has been issued for riverside villages in Bhadrachalam Agency as the Godavari river flows above the first warning level of 43 feet.
• The Bhadradri Kothagudem district collector sounded the first flood warning at 8:15 a.m. on August 20, 2025.
• By 2 p.m., the water level rose to 45.10 feet, with flood discharge exceeding 10.18 lakh cusecs.
• Two control rooms have been set up in Bhadrachalam for monitoring and responding to emergencies:

– ITDA headquarters: Contact number – (7995268352).- Sub-collector’s office: Contact numbers – (08743-232444 and 7981219425).

• Flood duty officers have been deployed as per contingency planning for vulnerable areas.
• In Kaleshwaram, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, water levels surpassed the warning mark of 12.210 metres and approach danger levels of 13.460 metres; bathing ghats are partially submerged by floodwaters near Triveni Sangamam.
• At lakshmi (Medigadda) barrage, inflow and outflow were recorded at an equal rate of approximately 9.02 lakh cusecs with all crest gates open.
• Upstream projects such as Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), Kaddam Narayan Reddy, and Sripada Yellampally are experiencing significant inflows.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing floods along the Godavari river highlight increasing challenges related to extreme hydrological events across several districts in Telangana. The deployment of control rooms equipped with emergency contact numbers signifies proactive disaster preparedness by local authorities, reflecting lessons learned from previous flooding incidents.

However, rising water levels in critical regions like Kaleshwaram-nearing danger marks-pose risks to lives and infrastructure if conditions worsen further due to continued heavy inflows upstream at major reservoirs such as SRSP or Medigadda Barrage.

Efficient coordination between teams stationed across vulnerable zones will be pivotal in minimizing damage while ensuring swift evacuation protocols if escalating water discharge necessitates it. Long-term strategies focused on improving drainage systems while mitigating catchment overflow might also emerge as priorities during post-event evaluations.

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