Vijayawada, Sep 28 (UNI) The River Krishna is in spate once again following heavy inflows of flood water being released from the Srisailam project, while the official machinery was put on high alert, several residential localities were inundated here and crops in thousands of acres are submerged.
The Prakasam barrage here, across the river Krishna, was receiving 6,73,283 cusecs of flood water while 6,67,842 cusecs of water was being let into the sea.
The water level at the barrage stood at 16.2 ft. The water level would increase further, officials said.
The third flood warning was sounded in the downstream areas of the river alerting people to move to safer places.
The residential localities in Vijayawada, including Tarakaramanagar, Bhupesh Gupta Nagar, Ramalingeswaranagar were inundated in flood water.
Officials said that four rehabilitation centres were set up in the city to shift the flood victims. As many as 72 children, who were in a care centre located on the bank of the river Krishna, were shifted to Gunadala.
Minister for Information & Public Relations Perni Venkatramaiah said that the Krishna district machinery was put on high alert. All arrangements were made to shift the people living in low-lying areas to safer places.
The officials issued notices to 36 residential buildings, which were constructed on the south bank of the river Krishna, to vacate as the flood water would increase and it will inundate them.
Interestingly, the officials also issued notice to the building in which former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu resides.
Commercial crops including yam, turmeric, papaya, chilli and banana in thousands of acres were submerged in the flood water in Guntur and Krishna districts.
The farmers were seen bringing out their motors and pump sets from the inundated fields.
The Kondaveeti Vagu stream is also in spate and the flood water is being pumped into the river Krishna through lift irrigation project at Tadepalli near here.
Meanwhile, the Srisailam project was receiving 4,21,748 cusecs of flood water while 5,90,793 cusecs of water was being discharged to the downstream Nagarjunasagar project by lifting 10 crest gates to 25 feet high.
The water level stood at 884 feet at the project while 210 TMC of water was impounded.
The Pulichintala project is receiving 5.77 lakh cusecs of flood water while 5.58 lakh cusecs of water is being released to downstream Prakasam barrage by lifting 17 crest gates.
