The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Chalking out plans to use floodwater

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Sunday, Aug 06, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Chalking out plans to use floodwater

Special Correspondent

Irrigation officials asked to expedite repairs to tanks

Ponnala Lakshmaiah

HYDERABAD: Top officials of the Major Irrigation Department are to meet twice a day to decide on steps for undertaking repairs to utilise floodwater in the Krishna and Godavari and control its flow.

Major Irrigation Minister P. Lakshmaiah took this decision at a review meeting here on Saturday. An official release said he also directed engineering officials to move to districts to oversee expeditious repairs to the damaged tanks and projects.

The Minister directed the department officials to undertake construction of ring bunds where necessary. He asked them to coordinate with Collectors on devising strategies to ensure that all the reservoirs attained their full levels and low-lying area were not flooded.

The meeting estimated that Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs would touch Full Reservoir Level (FRL) in five or six days and at least 100-150 tmcft would be wasted. It was decided to conserve as much floodwater as possible.

According to the release, officials of the Central Water Commission told the meeting that floods in the two rivers were likely to continue for five or six days. The meeting concluded that Bhadrachalam in Khammam district would not be submerged in the event of the construction of the Polavaram project, going by the present Godavari floods.

Mr. Lakshmaiah deputed Engineer-in-Chief B. V. S.Prakash Rao to oversee the situation arising out of the Godavari flood level touching 25 lakh cusecs at Dhowleswaram by Saturday evening.

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