The discharges from the Prakasam Barrage increased considerably with a rise in floodwater received from rivulets and streams that join the Krishna river downstream Nagarjuna Sagar on Saturday. Rainfall registered a dip, but the flood in the river rose sharply.
The Irrigation Department officials issued first warning with floodwaters touching 4 lakh cusecs by noon.
The flood-level was 3.66 m (12ft) over the crest of the barrage with all the shutters in clear condition and flood discharge exceeded to 3.97 lakh cusecs by noon. The authorities lifted all 70 crest gates to discharge the floodwaters.
The floodwaters touched 4.67 lakh cusecs by 4.45 p.m. and the authorities expected that there will be further increase.
The floodwaters were discharged as they reached the barrage. The second warning will be issued if the floodwaters cross 5.2 lakh cusecs.
The irrigation authorities said it was not possible to estimate/expect whether second warning could be issued as the present situation was dependent on flood and rains in catchment area.
The rivulets like Paleru and Munneru in catchment area were in spate. There were many rivulets that were not gauged. If releases were solely from Nagarjuna Sagar, an estimate could be made.
The Budameru was stable and there was no impending danger unless the houses were constructed in catchment or bed of drain. The Budameru was not overflowing, they said.
Rehabilitation centres
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) opened rehabilitation centres at Ramalingeswara Nagar ODA Community Hall, Patamatalanaka VMC High School, Tummala Sitaravamma Girls High School, Ramalingeswara Nagar School, Ranigarithota sample building, Ranigarithota ODA Community Hall, Tadikonda Mallikarjuna Rao School, Cement Godown VMC Ranga School, and Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS).
In-charge Municipal Commissioner M. Rama Rao has asked the people living low-lying areas to move to safer places or rehabilitation centres opened by the Corporation.
The VMC authorities requested the people to drink boiled and cooled water in view of floods.
They also suggested them not to drink water drawn from borewells located in flood-hit areas. Instead, they should rely on the water supplied by the corporation through tankers.
Families that evacuated from the river bed and low-lying areas along the flood bank complained that the authorities did not provide any help in the form of vehicles to move to the relief camps.
