First Flood Warning at Prakasam Barrage Again Within 10 Days

Vijayawada: Water resources department officials on Sunday issued first flood warning at Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada for the second time within 10 days, as inflows crossed 3.97 lakh cusecs at the barrage across River Krishna at 11:30 a.m.

The inflows touched 4.12 lakh cusecs at 1 p.m., following which authorities started discharging 4,11,880 cusecs of water into the Bay of Bengal by lifting all 70 crest gates to their full level of 10 metres.

According to a senior official from the irrigation department, officials have in all discharged about 11.06 lakh cusecs of water into the sea from the Prakasam Barrage, the highest in the barrage’s 70-year history. The total capacity of the barrage is 11.9 lakh cusecs.

Previously, Krishna River saw historic floods from October 2 to October 13, 2009. The maximum inflow recorded at Prakasam Barrage had been 11,10,404 cusecs at 11 p.m. on October 5, 2009. The third-highest flood discharge had been 9,32,000 cusecs in 1998.

Water resources officials had on August 31 issued the first flood warning and later on September 1 the second flood warning. Both the warnings had been withdrawn on September 4. Prakasam Barrage has been receiving more water due to the heavy floods from Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects, besides the local small rivulets and streams.

AP Disaster Management Authority director Ronanki Kurmanath, in a media release on Sunday, said the first warning has been issued in view of the heavy inflows into River Krishna.

Outflows have been 3.09 lakh cusecs at Srisailam as against inflows of 2.86 lakh cusecs. Both inflows and outflows at Nagarjuna Sagar Project are 2.99 lakh cusecs. The inflow at Pulichintala project is 2.75 lakh cusecs and outflow 2.97 lakh cusecs.

As a result, flood waters reaching Prakasam Barrage, which is located downstream of Pulichintala project, are increasing.