Water Wastage and Flood Management at Prakasam Barrage: A Growing Concern

Vijayawada: The Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada, with a storage capacity of 3.07 TMC, faces significant challenges in managing water flow, especially during the monsoon season. The barrage handles inflows from upstream projects like Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar, and Pulichintala, as well as seasonal streams. However, with no downstream storage facilities, it struggles to prevent water wastage. In 2020 alone, over 439 TMC of water was lost, mainly due to power generation at Pulichintala. Farmers are calling for better water conservation measures.

The previous Telugu Desam government proposed a balloon barrage at Chodavaram, but the current YSRCP government approved only a mini barrage at Srikakulam. Despite these efforts, the Prakasam Barrage continues to face challenges, releasing 2.53 lakh cusecs of water to the sea, while downstream areas like Avanigadda remain vulnerable to floods.