Efforts continue to remove boats stuck at barrage

Efforts to remove the heavy iron sand boats stuck at the Prakasam Barrage in the river Krishna entered their seventh day on Monday without success. Visakhapatnam-based contractor Bekem Infra has been leading the operation, deploying engineers and implementing a new strategy to lift the stranded boats.
The latest plan involves connecting two of the large boats with iron girders to lift them out of the water. This process began on Monday and is making steady progress. A team of experts, led by boat excavation specialist Abbulu from Kakinada, was brought in three days ago to assist in the efforts. However, despite their best efforts, they have been unable to free the three boats trapped at the barrage gates.
On Sunday, an attempt to pull the boats towards Durga Ghat using heavy iron ropes also failed. In response, officials and experts have revised their approach. Two additional boats, each with a 50-ton capacity, were brought in and connected using iron girders, arranged to pull a weight of approximately 300 tons. Cranes are now being used in a renewed effort to lift the boats from the river.
Meanwhile, Bekem Infra’s engineers managed to lift a large boat that was stuck at gate number 67, securing it between two other boats with iron chains and ropes. The plan is to move the boats towards the river bund by steering two boats at a time. Over the past six days, four different strategies have been attempted, all without success.
Bekem Infra has now devised a fifth plan in the hope of finally lifting the boats from the river Krishna and completing the operation.