Vijayawada: Continuous heavy rains in Karnataka and Rayalaseema has led to severe flooding in the Krishna river, prompting officials to issue a flood alert in the river’s catchment areas. The water levels have risen significantly at key locations such as Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar, and Prakasam Barrage.
The Krishna river, which has already faced flooding earlier this year, is once again overflowing due to heavy inflows from the Tungabhadra catchment area and floodwaters from the Jurala project in Telangana.As a result, all the major projects in the Krishna river basin are nearing full capacity. Since Saturday afternoon, the floodgates of Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar, and Pulichintala Dam have been lifted to release excess water downstream.
The situation has become critical as large volumes of floodwater are now flowing into the Prakasam Barrage. In response, the Krishna and NTR district administrations have issued alerts, urging residents in the river’s catchment area to move to safer locations. Special attention is being given to the Lanka villages downstream of Prakasam Barrage, where traffic disruptions are expected. Additionally, farmers are being advised to keep herdsmen away from the river basin to prevent accidents.
Krishna district collector DK Balaji conducted a review of the flood situation and held a special meeting with mandal-level officers (MMARs) from areas below Prakasam Barrage. During the meeting, Balaji outlined the necessary precautions and emergency measures to be taken in the event of worsening floods.
The Andhra Pradesh state disaster management authority (APSDMA) is closely monitoring the flood situation and providing regular updates. Officials have predicted that the flood surge in the Krishna river is likely to subside by Monday evening.
