Rs 204 crore for two new barrages in Krishna basin to utilise flood water

VIJAYAWADA: The State Water Resources Department has accorded ‘stage-1 administrative sanction’ of Rs  204.37 crore for the construction of two new barrages downstream Prakasam Barrage in lower Krishna basin to utilise flood water otherwise being discharged into the sea. The department has accorded a sanction of Rs  100 crore each for the two barrages for land acquisition, and the remaining amount will be for technical studies, including environmental impact.

According to the order (RT 482) issued by Special Chief Secretary (Water Resources) Adityanath Das on Thursday, Rs  102.17 crore has been sanctioned for the new barrage proposed at 12th km downstream of Prakasam Barrage near Chodavaram village in Penamaluru mandal of Krishna district and Ramachandrapuram village in Mangalagiri mandal of Guntur district, while Rs  102.20 crore has been sanctioned for the second new barrage to come up at 62th km downstream Prakasam Barrage near Bandikollanka village in Mopidevi mandal of Krishna district and Ravi Anantavaram village in Repalle mandal of Guntur district.

It may be recalled that the State Cabinet has recently given an in-principle sanction for the two barrages, estimated to cost about Rs  2,565 crore. While the barrage at 12th km is estimated to cost Rs  1,215 crore, the other one at 62th km is estimated to cost Rs  1,350 crore.  It may be noted that whenever multiple spells of flood reaches Krishna basin, hundreds of TMC of water goes into the sea. This year too, between June 1 and September 16, 210 TMC of surplus water has been let into the sea, while the utilisation stood at 71 TMC.