38 persons stranded on sand ramp rescued as Godavari swells; 17 pregnant women shifted to health centres - The HinduUpdated - July 31, 2026 11:34 pm IST - BHADRADRI KOTHAGUDEMAround 38 persons, including lorry drivers and cleaners, were rescued after being stranded on a sand ramp along the Godavari riverbank at Veerapuram village in Charla mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Friday.The crew of lorries and sand ramp workers were trapped along with their vehicles after the river level rose sharply following heavy inflows.Alerted by local villagers, rescue personnel reached the spot in boats and brought all the stranded persons safely to the shore.With the Godavari and its tributaries in spate, officials shifted around 17 pregnant women from flood-prone villages nearby government health centres in safer locations as a precautionary measure.Flood control rooms have been opened at the ITDA headquarters and the Bhadrachalam Sub-Collector’s office, in addition to the control room at the district headquarters. The control rooms can be contacted at 7995268352, 7981219425 and 08743-232444.NDRF, SDRF and DRF teams have been deployed in the Bhadrachalam division to undertake rescue and relief operations.Meanwhile, overflowing streams reportedly disrupted road connectivity to several remote tribal habitations in Dummugudem and Charla mandals. Traffic movement on the Turubaka-Dummugudem road was stopped after a swollen stream inundated a portion of the road late on Friday evening.Published - July 31, 2026 09:10 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }