Godavari, Sabari Recede in Polavaram; 32,000 Evacuated as Warnings Withdrawn

As the Godavari and Sabari rivers began receding on Sunday, officials in Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram district intensified evacuation efforts, moving nearly 32,000 people to safety from flood-affected areas. The receding waters brought relief to riverside villages, even as relief operations continued in the worst-hit mandals of V.R. Puram and Kunavaram, located near the confluence of the two rivers.

Polavaram District Collector K. Dinesh Kumar is personally monitoring the situation along the banks of the Sabari, where the water level has dropped. In Vaddegudem village, in V.R. Puram mandal, floodwaters had reached the rooflines of homes, as captured in drone footage earlier. The swollen Godavari also surged through the Polavaram project downstream, adding to the deluge.

The second flood warning was withdrawn at Bhadrachalam and at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram, East Godavari district. At Dowleswaram, over 11 lakh cusecs of floodwater is being released into the Bay of Bengal, with an additional 11,000 cusecs directed into the Godavari delta canals.

At Bhadrachalam, the Godavari had remained above the third warning level of 53 feet until 11 p.m. on Saturday. As inflows from the upper reaches declined, the third, second, and first warnings were all withdrawn within about 19 hours. By 7 p.m. on Sunday, the river level had fallen to 42.1 feet, below the first warning level of 43 feet.

The receding waters allowed vehicular traffic to resume on the Bhadrachalam-Charla highway, which had been submerged in several stretches. People who had sheltered at flood relief centres in Dummugudem, Charla, and Burgampadu mandals began returning home, hoping to resume their normal lives even as they assessed the damage left behind.

Authorities remain on alert, as even with the receding waters, the risk of waterborne diseases and structural damage persists. Relief camps continue to provide food, drinking water, and medical assistance to those still displaced. The government has assured that necessary support will be extended to all affected families for restoration and rehabilitation.

The floods this year have been among the most severe in recent memory for the region, exacerbated by heavy monsoon rains and the complex hydrology of the Godavari basin. The Polavaram project, a major irrigation and hydroelectric venture, has been at the centre of flood management debates, with officials working to balance dam safety against downstream flow.

As the waters recede, the focus now shifts to post-flood recovery. Revenue officials are undertaking surveys to assess the extent of damage to crops, homes, and public infrastructure. Community volunteers and NGOs have joined government teams to help clean up and restore essential services.

The timely evacuation of over 32,000 people, coordinated by district authorities with support from state and national disaster response forces, is credited with preventing any reported loss of life so far. Still, the full impact of the flood, particularly on marginal farmers and tribal communities in the Agency areas, is yet to be fully quantified.

For now, the lowering river levels bring a cautious sense of optimism. But officials remind residents that the monsoon is not over, and further spells of heavy rain could once again raise water levels. Preparedness and vigilance remain key as the region navigates the aftermath of this significant flood event.