Andhra Pradesh prepares 135 relief camps as Sabari river rises

Authorities in Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram district have arranged at least 135 relief camps after a sharp rise in inflows into the Sabari river on Saturday. The Sabari and Sileru rivers have received heavy inflows following rain in their catchment areas in Chhattisgarh and Odisha over the previous four days. The Sabari enters Andhra Pradesh at Chintoor and joins the Godavari at Kunavaram after flowing for more than 30 kilometres.

Polavaram District Collector K. Dinesh Kumar inspected flood-affected villages in V.R. Puram and Kunavaram mandals.

Officials said 161 villages along the Sabari could be affected if inflows into the Sabari and Godavari increase further. The water level at the Chintoor bridge stood at 43.5 feet on Saturday and was expected to rise over the following 24 hours. Officials from the district administration and the Chintoor Integrated Tribal Development Agency were monitoring conditions and the distribution of essential commodities.

At least 10 pregnant women had been moved to nearby hospitals, while another 101 pregnant women in the Chintoor agency area were advised to remain prepared for transfer if required. The relief camps were established along the riverbanks as authorities prepared for possible displacement. The supplied material does not state how many residents had entered the camps or report confirmed casualties.

Joint Collector S. Prasanth Kumar, ITDA Project Officer Subham Nokwal and other officials were involved in monitoring the situation. Their work included observing river levels and coordinating essential supplies for villages that could be affected.

At Dowleswaram in East Godavari district, the Godavari water level remained below the first flood-warning level on Saturday. Officials were nevertheless watching the connected river system because additional inflows could worsen conditions in the vulnerable villages along the Sabari.