AP Sounds High Alert at Prakasam Barrage
Krishna flood discharge may hit 6L cusecs at Barrage today
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has sounded a high alert at Prakasam Barrage as flood discharge in the Krishna river is expected to rise sharply to six lakh cusecs by Tuesday evening.
At 10 p.m. on Monday, outflow from the barrage stood at 2.51 lakh cusecs. Officials said nearly 5.5 lakh cusecs from Srisailam Dam is set to be released by Tuesday morning, which will reach Nagarjuna Sagar, Pulichintala, and finally Prakasam Barrage. Pulichintala itself, with additional local inflows from Telangana, released 3.66 lakh cusecs on Monday night. Authorities expect discharge at Prakasam Barrage to cross the first flood warning level of 3.97 lakh cusecs by Tuesday morning and may touch six lakh cusecs later in the day. A second warning will be issued if it reaches 5.5 lakh cusecs.
All stakeholder departments — revenue, municipal, fire services, SDRF, and NDRF — have been placed on alert, with strict advisories to the public and fishermen not to enter the river. Krishna conservator R. Ravi Kiran said close monitoring was underway upstream and downstream to prevent inundation in low-lying areas.
Meanwhile, heavy inflows continue in other rivers. At the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, Dowleswaram, discharge stood at 6.07 lakh cusecs on Monday night, inundating low-lying agency areas along the Godavari.
