Officials have intensified the evacuation of nearly 32,000 people affected by the floods in the Godavari and the Sabari in Polavaram district, even as the rivers began receding on Sunday (August 2, 2026).

V.R. Puram and Kunavaram mandals, near the confluence of the Sabari with the Godavari, are the worst hit. Polavaram District Collector K. Dinesh Kumar is monitoring the relief operations along the banks of the Sabari, which has receded.

The second flood warning has been withdrawn at Bhadrachalam and at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district. At Dowleswaram, over 11 lakh cusecs of flood water is being released into the Bay of Bengal, and 11,000 cusecs into the Godavari delta canals.

River recedes at Bhadrachalam

The Godavari began receding at Bhadrachalam on Sunday, bringing relief to riverside villages in the Bhadrachalam Agency. The river had remained above the third warning level of 53 feet until 11 p.m. on Saturday; with inflows from the upper reaches declining, the third, second and first warnings there were withdrawn within about 19 hours, and the level fell to 42.1 feet by 7 p.m. on Sunday, below the first warning level of 43 feet.

Vehicular traffic resumed on the Bhadrachalam-Charla highway as the water receded from several stretches. People sheltered at flood relief centres in Dummugudem, Charla and Burgampadu mandals began returning home.

Published - August 03, 2026 11:20 am IST