Vijayawada faces worst flood in 100 years

IJAYAWADA: The heaviest flood in over a hundred years hit the Prakasam barrage on Krishna river threatening several villages downstream even as

An aerial view shows the overflowing Srisailam dam in Andhra Pradesh. (Reuters Photo) More Pictures

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people of Vijayawada city clung on to a faint hope on Monday. ( Watch Video )

The toll in the heavy rains and rampaging floods in the state rose to 52. The Krishna was all furious as a record 11.03 lakh cusecs of floodwater reached Prakasam barrage. However, there was no threat to human lives as 2.5 lakh people of Krishna and Guntur districts have already been shifted to relief camps.

The situation in lanka villages — island villages where the Krishna meets the Bay of Bengal — however was grim as more than 50,000 people were trapped in floodwaters. Many colonies along the left bank of the Krishna in Vijayawada city submerged as the water level touched 6 feet in the evening. "The situation will remain grim till Wednesday as the flood discharge at Prakasam barrage will continue to be around 11 lakh cusecs," an official said.

With nearly 11 lakh cusecs of water in the swollen Krishna cascading from the Prakasam barrage, there was a concern on the ability of the flood banks to withstand the fierce pounding by the swirling river. However, engineers have assured the public that the flood banks were designed to take 11 lakh cusecs of water and that they have strengthened the weak points in the flood banks. This is the heaviest flood in more than 106 years as the previous record was 10.30 lakh cusecs in 1903, irrigation authorities said.

The water level touched 21.9 feet as all the 72 sluice gates were lifted to let out the execess waters. The discharge from Nagarjunasagar is expected to remain constant (10.17 lakh cusecs) at least for the next 24 hours and the outflow from Prakasam barrage will be around 10.87 lakh cusecs. With the floods receding in Kurnool and Mahbubnagar, water management at Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Prakasam barrage are being done in tandem to minimise the losses downstream, irrigation officials said.

The gates at Almatti have been closed and the inflows into Srisailam came down to 5.38 lakh cusecs while the outflow was 10 lakh cusecs on Monday. In view of the improvement in the situation, the engineers have decided to lower the level of the gates and close the emergency gate.

Chief minister K Rosaiah said a review of the damage to the Srisailam right bank power house with 770 MW generation capacity was being assessed. "Once the floods recede completely, a team of experts will be constituted to examine the damage the irrigation projects might have suffered due to the heavy flooding," he said.

CM Rosaiah has urged the Centre to consider it as a national calamity and provide Rs 6,000 crore for relief work. In a letter to PM Manmohan Singh, Rosaiah said the damages in the floods was to the tune of Rs 12,225 crore. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi undertook an aerial survery of the flood-ravaged areas.

Of the 52 deaths, Kurnool district accounted for 28 deaths, 17 died in Mahbubnagar, Krishna and Nalgonda reported three each and Guntur one. The Pulichintala project under construction on the Krishna was completely submerged. Sources said 719 minor irrigation tanks were damaged.