Water level in Krishna to be maintained at 12 feet for operation of seaplane

Vijayawada:As AP plans to launch a seaplane from Vijayawada to Srisailam from February-March, the water level in the Krishna River at Prakasam barrage has to be maintained at a full reservoir level of 12 feet for having adequate water for the seaplane either to land or to take off from the surface of the river water at the newly set up jetty near Prakasam barrage.

The water resources authorities are supposed to maintain the water level in the river at 12 feet at the edge where the jetty is located during the operation of the seaplane. In case the river has no adequate water level for operation of the seaplane, especially during the summer season like March, April, and May, the authorities have the plan to draw water from the upstream Pulichintala project to enhance the water level to 12 feet.

The authorities from the water resources department and the AP Inland Waterways Authority have to give the route map and the runway coordinates, keeping in mind the required depth of water, so that the seaplane will navigate in the specified route either for landing or take off. They are also to keep a check on the movement of the fishing boats in the river in the flight path to avoid any trouble for the seaplane.

Krishna River conservator R. Ravi Kiran said, “Once the operation of seaplane begins, we have to maintain the water level to be at 12 feet towards the edge of the river bank where a temporary jetty is set up for having adequate depth and in case of any shortage of water in the river, we will draw 500-1,000 cusecs of water from the Pulichintala project, and it takes one to two days for water to reach Prakasam barrage.”

It may be mentioned that on November 9, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the seaplane demo flight operation from Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada to Srisailam in Nandyal district by flying in it along with Union civil aviation minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu and others.