Andhra Pradesh rains: Irrigation dept issues alert; warns of flooding in low-lying areas

People, who have been living in the low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh, have been requested to stay alert of flooding as 70 gates of the Prakasam Barrage, located in Vijayawada have been lifted to release the floodwater. 

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"The river Krishna has been overflowing at the Barrage located in Vijayawada. The floodwater has also been increasing at an extremely fast pace. A huge amount of water is accumulating at the barrage due to the rains in the area located upwards. The irrigation department, at the present moment, has lifted 70 gates and has left the floodwater into the sea," said officials of  the Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Department to ANI.

"There is an expectation, that over one lakh cusecs are expected inside the barrage and had pleaded the locals living in low-lying areas to be alert about floods being likely due to heavy rains," said A.Md.Imitiaz, the collector of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh. 

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Collector Imitiaz, further added that about 82,000 cusecs have been received at the barrage today and about 10,000 cusecs of the same would be released to the canals. The remaining cusecs would be transferred downstream. 

"About 70 gates of the Prakasam Barrage have been lifted to release the water. We are expecting that about one lakh more cusecs would accumulate. Hence, it is our humble request to the people to remain highly prudent," said Imitiaz. 

"The control rooms  inside every Mandal  have been made available and the National Disaster Relief Force(NDRF) and the State Disaster Relief Force(SDRF) have also been made available have been made available in case any kind of any catastrophe. The control rooms in almost every Mandal are also available," added Imitiaz. 

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The downpour, within the region, has caused the river, Krishna, to overflow at Keesara. The floodwaters had hindered the traffic at Damuluru junction. The movement of the vehicles between the Mandals of Veerulapadu and Nandigama had also been affected. 

"A fairly widespread to widespread rainfalls, along with heavy to very heavy rains falls at isolated locations are highly likely over the coastal region of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the next two days," said a tweet from the Indian Meteorological Department(IMD). 

(With ANI Inputs)

(Image Credits: ANI)