11,000 cusecs of surplus water being released into the sea
PNS | Vijayawada
Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD), for the first time this monsoon season, lifted the Prakasam Barrage gates and released surplus water into the sea. Responding swiftly to heavy rains in the upper catchment area, the Irrigation Circle, Vijayawada officials took necessary measures.
Currently, around 11,000 cusecs of floodwater is being released downstream of the barrage by lifting the Prakasam Barrage gates 19 to a height of one foot. The barrage is receiving an inflow of more than 17,000 cusecs of floodwater from the upper catchment area.
Upstream of the Prakasam Barrage, the Munneru, the left tributary of the Krishna basin, is experiencing a significant surge in floodwater. Consequently, the concerned officials are diverting the floodwater into the river Krishna, leading it to reach the barrage in Vijayawada.
At 4 am on Saturday morning, the Water Resources Department authorities lifted the Prakasam Barrage gates to begin the controlled release of surplus water into the sea. Initially, approximately 5,000 cusecs of surplus water were discharged, and the release gradually increased to 11,000 cusecs. Additionally, over 6,000 cusecs of water were released into canals.
The Krishna Basin’s upper states, Karnataka and Maharashtra, are witnessing heavy rainfall, resulting in significant inflow into the major reservoirs Almatti and Narayanapur. If these reservoirs become full, the authorities plan to release water into the Srisailam project. Consequently, the NTR, Krishna, and Guntur district officials are taking precautionary measures to mitigate losses in these regions.
Krishna Central (KC) Division Executive Engineer and River Conservator PVR Krishna Rao, when contacted by ‘The Pioneer,’ revealed that a surplus of 11,000 cusecs of water was released into the sea through 19 gates, with each gate lifted one foot high. He also mentioned that a significant 17,377 cusecs of floodwater is originating from the Munneru tributary. Looking ahead, he emphasised that due to heavy rains in the upper catchment area over the next three to four days, the department predicts an increased flow of water into River Krishna.
