The irrigation officials on Wednesday lifted 20 crest gates of the Prakasam Barrage here to discharge the surplus water into the sea with 14,500 cusecs being released by the evening.
The officials were releasing water into canals — Krishna Eastern and Western, and Guntur channel — for irrigation. Close to 7,800 cusecs were being released into the Eastern Canal, which caters to the needs of Krishna district, and about 3,000 cusecs into the Western Canal that provides water for irrigation in Guntur district. More than 225 cusecs were also flowing into the Guntur Channel.
With heavy rain lashing catchment areas upstream, heavy inflows were witnessed and the surplus water (above 12 feet at the Barrage) was being released downstream.
The barrage was receiving an inflow of 18,000 cusecs from streams and rivulets located upstream. More than 640 cusecs were flowing into the river from Vazinepalli with 2,350 cusecs joining at Keesara.
Another 480 cusecs from Velagaleru was flowing into the river. Most of the flood water was from Dachepalli and other areas in Guntur district, Keesara and other places in Krishna district and Paleru in Khammam district of Telangana State.
Irrigation Department’s Vijayawada Circle Superintending Engineer S. Sugunakara Rao said they were maintaining the water level at 12 ft. in the barrage. There was a rising trend in the inflows. It was anticipated that the inflows would cross 20,000 cusecs by night, he said, adding they were keeping track of the situation.
The water releases began with 5,800 cusecs in the morning.
Then only eight crest gates were lifted by one foot. As the inflows began to increase, 14 gates were lifted by 2 p.m. and 11,000 cusecs was released. The water was not being released from Pulichintala and Pattiseema. The barrage has 70 gates.
This is the first time in the season that the gates had been lifted to release the water into the sea.
