Vijayawada: Prakasam barrage desiltation works to begin soon

Vijayawada: The State Irrigation department will soon take up the desiltation of Prakasam barrage reservoir to increase the water storage capacity to its full level.

The Prakasam barrage is vital to supply irrigation water to 14 lakh acres in Krishna delta spreading over Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts. The total storage capacity is 3.07 tmcft. But, due to the stockpiling of sand deposits in the upstream of Prakasam barrage only 2.98 tmcft has been stored for the past few years. Now, the State government has decided to take up desiltation works at a cost of Rs.106 crore and the Irrigation department is inviting the tenders to allot the works.

Irrigation Superintending Engineer K Narasimha Murthy said the works will be allotted to more than one company so that the works could be executed before the onset of monsoon season. The desiltation area is up to 13 km from the Prakasam barrage and measurements and details of bed levels and silt levels are already collected to start the works.

Desiltation works will be taken up on both sides of Krishna and Guntur districts. Prakasam barrage is the main source of drinking water to Vijayawada city. Drinking water tanks in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts will be filled with the Krishna river water stored in Prakasam barrage. The barrage is also main source of irrigation water to 14 lakh acres in Krishna delta.

Keeping in view the importance of Prakasam barrage and storage of water to its fullest capacity, the Irrigation department decided to take up the works as early as possible. Last time, the desiltation works were done in 2018.

Due to heavy floods last year, the Prakasam barrage crest gates were lifted on many occasions and water was released into the sea. With the desiltation of sand and other materials from the reservoir, more water can be stored in future and can be used to meet the requirements of drinking water and irrigation purposes by Krishna delta people in three districts.