VIJAYAWADA: A temporary gate comprising 11 elements is to be installed by Sunday morning at Pulichintala dam as an immediate alternative to the radial crest gate number 16, which was washed away by floods.
Water resources officials were optimistic that the works would be accomplished by late Saturday night night, thanks to the illumination that has been arranged at the site. They maintain that erection of elements and closure of the remaining gates will help impound water in the reservoir unlike in the last two days when large quantities of water gushed out from the gap downstream towards Prakasam barrage and surplused into the sea.
Pulichintala project superintendent engineer J. Ramesh Babu said, “We fixed five of the 11 elements by Saturday evening and with them, we can impound water into the reservoir and store them to full reservoir level.”
Meanwhile, authorities found the crest gate that was washed away nearly a kilometre from the dam.
On the other hand, Pulichintala project is getting inflow of 46,557 cusecs of water with the storage of just 5.26 tmcft (11.49%) against gross capacity at FRL of 45.77 tmcft of water. Prakasam barrage is getting an inflow of 1.02 lakh cusecs of water from upstream Pulichintala project and 88,750 cusecs of water is being discharged downstream into the sea from the barrage.
The first flood warning has been withdrawn at the barrage. However, revenue authorities in Guntur and Krishna districts have advised the people living in low-lying areas along the course of Krishna river to stay alert.
