Vijayawada:The water resources department (WRD) officials on Saturday salvaged the third and final boat that blocked the flow of water at the Prakasam Barrage after sinking in the Krishna river on September 1.
Rescue teams used the same method used in the salvaging of the first two boats. First, the boat was sunk to the riverbed, where divers punched holes on the body of the vessel.
Chains were then fixed onto the boat and pulled with the help of two towboats linked with a girder. Finally the boat was pulled ashore at Punnami Ghat.
On September 1, five sand boats sank near the Prakasam Barrage due to heavy floods. While one of them was washed away on that same day, the fourth boat followed suit days later.
The boats had hit the gates of the barrage. Counterweights for gates at pier Nos. 67, 69 and 70 were damaged. The authorities carried out repairs to them immediately and allowed flood waters to pass through them downstream into the sea.
Notwithstanding, divers searched for any other sunken boats on Saturday.
