Andrha Pradesh rain: Vijayawada still under water, damage to Prakasam barrage cause of concern

VIJAYAWADA: At a time when the Krishna River is receiving unprecedented inflows, the damage caused by three boats to the flood gates of Prakasam Barrage has become a major cause for concern. The boats got washed away from the upstream areas and hit the gates at a speed of about 40 km/hour, damaging the horizontal concrete columns that hold the counterweight of the flood gates at gate no.69.
The irrigation officials are assessing the extent of the damage and the threat it poses to the barrage. Kannaiah Naidu, the advisor to the state govt, who fixed the Tunga Bhadra dam’s broken gate some time ago, will take up the repair works.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is expected to reach Vijayawada by Monday midnight and will assess the damage apart from suggesting measures to be taken up to ensure the safety of the barrage.
Irrigation minister Nimmala Ramanaidu said that the boats were docked upstream but got washed away because of the heavy flood. He added that the irrigation officials are closely monitoring the situation.
The repair works will kick-start based on the suggestions given by the expert team and govt advisor Kannaiah Naidu. Meanwhile, due the damage caused to the barrage and with Krishna River receiving highest-ever inflows, the police closed the barrage for traffic as a precautionary measure.
However, the irrigation officials heaved a sigh of relief as the flood-level started to recede from Monday evening. It is to be noted that this was not the first time that boats which were docked upstream damaged the barrage gates. A similar incident took place in 2021, in which one of the gates was damaged and had to be replaced.