JOIN USHeavy rain and water released for hydel power production have affected normal life in several districts of Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda in Telangana.
The Pulichintala power project is brimming with 11 tmc of water with copious rainfall in catchment areas and inflows from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar dams. Irrigation officials are releasing 65,000 cusecs of water to Prakasam barrage near Vijayawada by lifting seven gates. Similarly, 35 gates have been opened at Prakasam barrage to release flood water down into the Bay of Bengal.
According to Guntur Revenue Divisional Officer Bhaskar Naidu, residents of villages earmarked for submergence have been notified and asked to vacate immediately.
Meanwhile, the AP government has urged the Telangana government to stop releasing water down the stream from Srisailam dam at least for three days to reduce inflows into Pulichintala. It is reported that power production at Nagarjuna Sagar hydel station has been halted to stop inflows into Pulichintala.
On the other hand, heavy rain under the influence of a low pressure trough in the Bay of Bengal has disrupted normal life in Guntur, Prakasam, Kurnool, Kadapa and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh. Two women in Guntur district were washed away when they accidentally fell into seasonal stream Eddulavagu which is in spate along with several such streams and rivulets in Prakasam and Nellore districts. Vehicular movement between these districts is also affected.
River Vedavati is also in spate in Marlamudi of Holagunda mandal of Kurnool affecting traffic between Kurnool and Karnataka. With heavy rain of over 3.5 cms in Kurnool on Saturday night, the inflows into Tungabhadra forced the irrigation officials to release 2,300 cusecs downstream from Sunkesula barrage.
In Prakasam district, huge tracts of chilli crop are submerged in rainwater, particularly in the Inkollu area.