Impact of Cyclone Murasu: All 70 gates of Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada opened

Following continuous heavy rainfall in the Krishna basin of Andhra Pradesh due to Cyclone Murasu, the authorities have opened all 70 gates of the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada due to an increase in water inflow. According to a report by 'The Hindu', an inflow of 71,000 cusecs of water was recorded at the barrage by 8 am on Wednesday, all of which has been released into the riverbed towards the Bay of Bengal. Officials from the Water Resources Department stated that the water level in the barrage has reached 12 feet.

To facilitate the discharge of water, 30 gates have been raised by two feet and the remaining 40 gates by one foot. As a precautionary measure in view of the potential flood situation, water supply to the Krishna Eastern, Krishna Western, and Guntur canals has been suspended. The process of releasing excess water from the barrage began on Tuesday night. This water is primarily coming from the Keesara, Munneru, and Budameru rivers, which join the Krishna River from local catchment areas.

This decision has been taken following the exceptionally heavy rainfall situation in the NTR district and the forecast of more rain by the India Meteorological Department. Officials are continuously monitoring the water inflow into the river and the upstream areas. People living in low-lying areas along the riverbanks have been appealed to remain cautious and follow the instructions of the administration. According to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics of Andhra Pradesh, the highest rainfall of 269.45 mm was recorded in Edlapadu of Palnadu district in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Wednesday. Rainfall of over 204.5 mm was recorded in 16 automatic weather stations in the state, which is as per the India Meteorological Department's criteria for extremely heavy rainfall. Additionally, 178.25 mm of rainfall was recorded in Chintalapadu of Tiruvuru mandal in NTR district and 222.75 mm in Ghantasala of Krishna district.

Prakasam Barrage is an important dam built on the Krishna River in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.