The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Prakasam Barrage being depleted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 02, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Prakasam Barrage being depleted

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, MARCH 1. Depletion of water from the reservoir at Prakasam Barrage for completion of protection works to foundations of the decades-old irrigation structure began on Tuesday.

Water release from the barrage into the network of canals that irrigate the delta have been increased with a dual purpose -- filling the drinking water tanks in villages and also for depleting water for completion of protection works. The superintending engineer (SE), J. Rajendra Prasad, told The Hindu here on Tuesday that water had to be depleted for the construction of a cross-bund across the river to take up the protection works.

According to a tentative schedule, the protection works would begin on April 1 and be completed in 30 to 45 days.

The work that began last summer had to be abruptly discontinued because of floods at the Prakasam Barrage caused by heavy rain in the intercatchment between the Nagarjuna Sagar dam and the barrage.

A cross-bund built last summer developed breaches at a few places due to the floodwater and work had to be discontinued.

The protection works upstream the barrage would be completed at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.80 crores.

More protection works pending completion down stream the barrage would be taken up at an estimated Rs. 2.90 crores, Mr. Prasad said.

Godavari water

The Krishna Irrigation Circle sent new proposals for a Rs. 3-crore scheme to irrigate 16,000 acres in the ayacut of Eluru Canal with water from Godavari River.

According to Mr. Prasad, 6,000 acres in the tail-end of Eluru Canal could be irrigated using a lift irrigation scheme that pumped water from the Godavari Canal that went to Eluru. The remaining 10,000 acres could be irrigated with the canal water simply by gravity. The Godavari water scheme would benefit farmers of Denduluru, Konangipuntha, Chataparru and Jallipudi villages in West Godavari districts.

Tarakarama scheme

The SE said NABARD had in principle sanctioned Rs. 9.95 crores for the second phase of the Tarakarama Lift Irrigation scheme. The investigation required for the preparation of estimates was in progress, Mr. Prasad said. Another proposal for a Rs. 9.85-crore project for conserving water that found its way into various types of drains by constructing causeways and bed-level regulators was also pending with NABARD, Mr. Prasad said.

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