The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Fresh survey ordered on crest gates for Pulichintala

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 05, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Fresh survey ordered on crest gates for Pulichintala

M. Malleswara Rao

The survey will fix water level benchmarks for each km on the 85-km long stretch

HYDERABAD: The Government has ordered a fresh survey on the possible adverse impact of heavy floods in the Krishna on the upcoming Pulichintala project, to finally decide on the number of crest gates for it.

It is feared that more water may be impounded between Pulichintala site and Prakasam Barrage, downstream in Vijayawada than estimated earlier.

This is because the maximum flood discharge capacity of the barrage (11.9 lakh cusecs) is lower than that proposed for Pulichintala (20.4 lakh cusecs).

It was decided to take up a fresh survey after irrigation experts and officials discussed at length the report of the Disputes Adjudication Board.

The three-member board, headed by L. R. Kapoor, recommended installation of 24 gates for the Rs. 670-crore project against 33 proposed earlier by the Irrigation Department. Thus, it endorsed the view of the contractor M/s Srinivasa Constructions.

Two to three months

The fresh survey will be entrusted to a private agency and completed in two to three months, M. K. Rahaman, engineer-in-chief, Irrigation, told The Hindu .

The survey will fix water level benchmarks for the river for each kilometre on the 85-km long stretch from Pulichintala to Prakasam Barrage.

The data will be referred to the Central Water & Power Research Institute, Pune, to assess whether heavy floods in the Krishna and low discharge capacity of the Prakasam Barrage will lead to impounding between Vijayawada and Pulichintala and if so, jeopardise the safety of the Pulichintala dam.

`Tail water level'

At present, the `tail-water level' of the barrage at Pulichintala during floods is estimated at 49.13 metres. For this level, erection of 24 gates for Pulichintala is considered ideal.

If the Pune institute, however, finds water level to be higher, more gates will be suggested. Pulichintala is located at 53.34 metres above mean sea level (MSL) and the barrage at Vijayawada 18 metres.

Meanwhile, work is apace on the spillway of Pulichintala to impound 15 tmcft of water in its reservoir (full capacity 45.7 tmcft) by July and thus advance the kharif season in the Krishna delta for the first time in several years.

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