Parepalli Adinarayana Murthy of Mangalagiri, during whose tenure in the Department of Irrigation and Command Area Development the Prakasam barrage was built more than five decades ago, has stressed the need for its reinforcement on a war-footing. He said the under-sluice gates should be operated at least five times in a year. Pointing out that they were not opened even once in several years, Mr. Murthy said it had resulted in huge quantity of sand getting accumulated in the reservoir, affecting not only the flow of water but also its availability. “Since the government has conceived big plans for building the capital around Vijayawada and Guntur, it should give due priority to conducting urgent repairs to the entire structure to optimally utilise the dam’s storage capacity.” Mr. Murthy added.
Mr. Murthy said successive governments had not paid due attention to protecting the structure, which caters for lakhs of farmers in Krishna eastern and western deltas.
The motors that lift the 70 crest gates have become non-functional owing to corrosion. Also, several illegal structures have come up around the reservoir, with the Bhavani island itself being commercialised in blatant violation of rules prohibiting construction activity in river beds. “Now that the government has decided to build the capital in the VGTM region, it would do well to take up the strengthening of the Prakasam barrage. If a catastrophe is to be avoided, the government should act in right earnest,” Mr. Murthy said.