The Krishna district administration has asserted that it is totally prepared to face the challenges in view of about three lakh cusecs of flood waters that was discharged from Nagarjuna Sagar on Monday afternoon.
The flood water is expected to touch Prakasam Barrage here between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Joint Collector Gaurav Uppal, on Monday, said all tehsildars and 19 special officers across the district were put on alert to take up relief and rescue operations, if required.
The action plan had been prepared anticipating four lakh cusecs of floodwaters. The cyclone shelters and other rehabilitation centres were kept ready, he said, adding, “There is nothing to worry as necessary precautions were taken. Also, the flood waters discharged from the Nagarjuna Sagar is not worrisome.”
Irrigation Department's Krishna (Central) executive engineer V. S. Ramesh Babu said 2.6 lakh cusecs of water was discharged from Nagarjuna Sagar at 1 p.m. Later, another 30,000 cusecs were discharged taking the total discharges to 2.92 lakh cusecs.
The catchments like Munneru and Keesara in between Nagarjuna Sagar and Prakasam Barrage would add another 20,000 to 30,000 cusecs.
In all possibility, 3 lakh plus cusecs of flood waters was expected, he said, and added that the water would be released depending upon the inflows into the barrage as the 12 feet water level had to be maintained.
Rehabilitation centres
Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu said the corporation had opened a 24-hour control room with a phone number (0866) 245114. The people living in low-lying areas were requested to cooperate with the officials and move to safer places. The VMC would open 20 rehabilitation centres and constituted teams, including medical officers, to assist the people, he said.
The VMC has also listed out a few areas where from the people had to be evacuated.
The areas include: Krishnalanka Metla Bazaar, Kodandaram Ghat, Padvmavathi Ghat, Ranadive Nagar, Ranigarithota, Bhupesh Gupta Nagar, Balaji Nagar, Police Colony, Geeta Nagar Katta, Ramalingeswara Nagar, and Bhavanipuram.
About 40,000 people had to be rehabilitated from these places, he said.
Collector V.N. Vishnu alerted the revenue officers of 14 mandals about the danger of river Krishna flooding the habitations located on its banks and some island villages.
MROs of Amaravathi, Atchampet, Bhattiprolu, Kollipara, Kollur, and Repalle were specifically instructed to be cautious in view of the existence of several island villages in their purview.
Discharge of higher quantities from the Nagarjuna Sagar dam will endanger the people living along the river course and in island villages.
The situation will become serious once the discharge exceeds 5,00,000 cusecs. This depends on monsoon activity which has been quite intense for the last few weeks.
Mr. Vishnu suggested to the MROs to take necessary precautions to meet any contingency.
People living in vulnerable areas may have to be evacuated if the river swells due to persistent inflows from upper reaches. Officials of all other departments concerned have been ordered to be on alert.
Joint Collector N. Yuvaraj and District Revenue Officer M. Venkateswarlu are monitoring the situation to get the relief measures going as and when the necessity arises
