Andhra Pradesh Police registered two cases on Sunday against Sakshi TV and a multi-channel YouTube media platform for spreading false propaganda. Sakshi tv aired a report with the headline “To save Amaravati, Ponnur was drowned” while the YouTube channel claimed “The 67th gate of Prakasam Barrage has broken and Vijayawada is on the verge of being submerged due to heavy floods.”
Cases were booked at Tadepalli and Vijayawada One Town police stations following complaints from the Water Resources Department. Officials alleged that both outlets misled the public, spread panic with false rumours, and attempted to create confusion with baseless reports.
On the 16th of this month, Sakshi TV aired a report accusing the government of diverting floodwaters from Kondaveeti Vagu into the Krishna, Guntur, and Appapuram channels. It alleged that this move submerged fields in Ponnur, caused major crop losses, and claimed “To save Amaravati, Ponnur was drowned.”
Ponnur YSRCP leader Ambati Muralikrishna echoed the same claims, which were later published on Sakshi’s website. Water Resources Department officials said the report was deliberate misinformation targeting Amaravati and registered a formal complaint with the police.
In his complaint, Guntur Channel AEE Avinash clarified that no floodwater from Kondaveeti Vagu was diverted into the Guntur channel. He stated that channel gates were closed only because of heavy floods and that continuous rains had caused drain water to flow into the fields, not government diversion.
He further noted that since the 13th of this month, floodwater from Kondaveeti Vagu has been pumped into the Krishna River. Despite this, Sakshi Channel aired what he described as a baseless story, intended to mislead the public, leading to the case being filed.
On the 15th of this month, a YouTube channel also posted on Facebook that the 67th gate of Prakasam Barrage had broken, claiming that Vijayawada was at risk of being submerged in the floods. The post was widely circulated on social media and created panic among residents.
The false claims were further shared by a member of the YSR Congress social media team. The individual posted that the government could not even repair or grease a barrage gate and questioned its ability to construct new projects.
In reality, the 67th gate of Prakasam Barrage remains safe and intact. Based on a complaint filed by Barrage Superintendent U. Satya Rajesh, police at Vijayawada One Town registered a case against the false propaganda.
