The Prakasam barrage received the maximum inflow of 15,000 cusecs this season with the Munneru, Katleru and Wyra rivulets, that are in spate, discharging their water into the Krishna river. The authorities are diverting the entire flood water into the canals of the Krishna delta. So far, 15,572 cusecs have been released into the canals, the highest this season.
With no water available in most of the reservoirs in Krishna river, the Andhra government decided to pump Godavari flood water into the Polavaram Right Main Canal using the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS). The lift scheme released 8,500 cusecs by running all the pumps to provide water to the Krishna delta farmers well in time. This was possible as the level at Pattiseema had crossed the statutory 14 metres above the mean sea level. The Water Resources Department has now switched off the pumps of the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS).
The recent rains in the sub basins sent the three tributaries of Krishna into spate.
The inflows allowed the authorities to increase the release of water into the Krishna Eastern Main Canal that irrigates delta areas of the Krishna and West Godavari districts. The release into the Krishna Eastern Main Canal has been doubled to 9,050 cusecs. The release into the Krishna Western Main Canal that irrigates the delta areas in Guntur and Prakasam districts has also been increased to 6,577 cusecs. The flood discharge from the rivulets has increased the water level at the Prakasam Barrage to 12 feet increasing the head. By maintaining the water level at the barrage, water could be pushed deeper into the delta and the tailend canals in the Divi Seema area, irrigation engineers said.
