KURNOOL/VIJAYAWADA: High alert has been sounded in Kurnool district after one of the main gates of Tungabhadra dam was washed away. All villages and towns downstream of the Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects have also been alerted.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday took stock of the situation and directed Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav to mitigate the damage caused by the flood in Kurnool and provide all possible help to the Tungabhadra Dam authorities. The people, especially the farmers of Kurnool and Anantapur districts, were assured that all necessary measures would be taken to mitigate the damage caused by the flood.
The volume of water from the Tungabhadra Dam is almost 100,000 cubic feet per second.
Nimmala: Efforts underway to resolve Tungabhadra Dam problem
The inflows at Sunkesula Dam and Srisailam Dam are steadily increasing. As the inflows from Jurala are decreasing, the dam authorities have closed most of the gates.
Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu said experts are already working to fix the problem at Tungabhadra dam and in the meantime, all precautionary measures have been taken downstream of the project in Kurnool district, particularly in Kowthalam, Kosigi, Mantralayalm, C Belagal and Nandavaram mandals. Officials of the revenue department, police and irrigation department have rushed to the downstream mandals to monitor the situation and people are being alerted through various media including tom-tom. Kurnool district collector Ranjit Basha and SP G Bindu Madhav are closely monitoring the situation.
People have been advised not to venture into the river even for fishing as the water level is steadily rising. Meanwhile, SDRF teams have been prepared and even NDRF has been put on alert. Floats, life jackets, putty and other rescue materials have been prepared. Revenue and police officials are fully equipped to evacuate people living near the river if required.
However, the situation is under control and the water level is being regulated. “There is no reason to panic,” said the tax official.
