Nimmala alerts officials on flood in Krishna river

Vijayawada: Minister for water resources Dr Nimmala Ramanaidu on Thursday monitored the flood situation in the Krishna river along with irrigation officials near the Prakasam Barrage here. He instructed all officials to remain on high alert as continuous heavy rains in the upper catchment areas are causing heavy inflows into the Krishna and its tributaries.

The minister said that more than 6 to 6.5 lakh cusecs of floodwater is expected to reach the Prakasam Barrage. He directed officials in the Krishna Delta region to closely monitor the situation at the field level and take all necessary precautionary measures to prevent damage in low-lying areas.

Ramanaidu also advised district collectors of NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Anakapalle, Alluri Sitaramaraju and other affected districts to stay vigilant as water levels in several streams and canals continue to rise. He further said that as the flood inflow to the Gundlakamma project has begun to recede, around 70,000 cusecs of water is being released downstream.

In view of the heavy rainfall in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle districts, the minister directed officials to remain alert along the banks of rivers, streams, and canals and to take proactive steps to safeguard the public.

Water resources department advisor Mamidi Venkateswara Rao and other irrigation officials accompanied the minister.