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Following heavy rains in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, a second flood warning was issued at the Prakasam Barrage located in Vijayawada on Sunday, September 28 evening.
According to reports, the first flood warning was issued on Thursday, September 25 after water kept flowing from upstream barrages into the Prakasam barrage. As of Wednesday, September 24, the released inflow at the barrage was reported at 4,35,255 cusecs. Of the total inflow, 4,22,004 cusecs were released as surplus into the Krishna river. The discharge into Krishna Eastern and Krishna Western Main Canals accounted for 13,251 cusecs while the Guntur Channel received no discharge at all.
Currently, 6.2 lakh cusecs of outflow has touched the Prakasam barrage with authorities warning that the surge could rise up to 7 lakh cusecs by Monday, September 29 afternoon. The inflow and outflow at Prakasam Barrage currently stands at 6.43 lakh cusecs. Island villages downstream of the barrage include Pamula Lanka and Todella Dibba (around 20 kilometers from Vijayawada) have been submerged by the heavy rains.
The Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Authority has urged residents in low-lying areas of the barrage to remain alert.
It is worth noting that around 11.06 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the Prakasam barrage when floods hit Vijayawada in September 2024. Several reports had pointed out that the discharge was the highest in the barrage’s 70 year history. The total capacity of the barrage stands at 11.9 lakh cusecs.
Meanwhile, Gate No 69 of the barrage had sustained damage during the floods last year. Earlier in August, Irrigation Vijayawada (Central) Division Executive Engineer and River Conservator Ravi Kiran informed that the repair work would be carried out once the flood levels receded. “There is no danger as floodwater is being discharged effectively,” he had told the media.