Inflows into Prakasam Barrage reduce

Vijayawada/Guntur: The inflows into Krishna river have come down at various reservoirs on Saturday. The water is receding in upstream reservoirs on Krishna river while the flood is steady at downstream reservoirs. The situation may return to normalcy in the next couple of days.

According to the officials, 1.25 lakh cusecs of water is coming from Almatti and Narayanapur reservoirs State. Already the projects are full of water and floodwater is being released as per the inflows.

Besides, nearly 2.90 lakh cusecs is being released from the Jurala reservoir. But nearly 5.5 lakh cusecs is coming from the Srisailam reservoir. Bountiful rains were registered in the Srisailam catchment area. Similarly Nagarjunasagar is receiving nearly 4.65 lakh cusecs of water while the same is being discharged downstream.

Subsequently, the Pulichintala Project is receiving inflows of 4.85 lakh cusecs and is discharging 4.65 lakh cusecs downstream. Prakasam Barrage is receiving inflows of about 4.5 lakh cusecs and the same is being discharged. The floodwater has gone down from 6.5 lakh cusecs to 4.5 lakh cusecs on Saturday at the barrage.

The Krishna district administration withdrew second warning but the first warning is under force at Prakasam Barrage. The State government is maintaining relief camps and nearly 800 victims have been provided shelter.

Relief camps continue in Guntur district: The Revenue officials are continuing a relief camp at the local government high school at Penumudi Varadhi as a precautionary measure, which is expected to continue for one more day.

Meanwhile, floodwater is overflowing on the road at Vellatur in Bhattiprolu mandal of the district. The relief camp is being continued at Ramapuram in Gurazala mandal of Guntur district. The officials are continuing the relief camp as a precautionary measure.

Commercial crops like cotton, chilli in thousands of acres in Gurazala, Dachepalli, Krosuru and Amaravati mandal of the district are under a sheet of floodwater. Similarly, in the downstream of Prakasam Barrage, yam, turmeric, banana, black gram and paddy fields were inundated in Kolluru, Kollipara, Repalle and Bhattiprolu mandals of the district.

The farmers are worried about their crops. They point out that if the rainwater remains stagnant, it will damage the crops.

Sources in the agriculture and horticulture departments informed that after the floodwater recedes, they will set up teams to enumerate the crop loss, which will take three to four-days.

Speaking to The Hans India, Tenali sub-collector Kothamasu Dinesh Kumar said, "Flood water started receding. Flood water discharge fell to 4.5 lakh from 6 lakh cusecs. As a result, the flood water is receding. We are continuing a relief camp at Penumudi Varadhi as a precautionary measure."

Speaking to The Hans India, Gurazala RDO J Pardha Saradhi said, "We have continued the relief camp for the third day on Saturday as a precautionary measure. Floodwater started receding."

Joint Director of Agriculture M Vijaya Bharati said, "If the floodwater recedes within 24-hours, there will be no crop loss. if inundation continues turmeric, cotton, and chilli crops are likely to get damaged."