GUNTUR: Guntur Channel maintenance works have been completed. Krishna river water from Prakasam Barrage is likely to be released to Guntur Channel within two days for drinking purpose. As the water level in Krishna river touched 10.7 feet at Prakasam Barrage on Wednesday, the Irrigation Department has decided to release drinking water to the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC), Mangalagiri and Tadepalli municipalities through the channel.
Water release to the Guntur Channel was stopped in February to undertake maintenance works. The channel flows from Krishna river to the GMC limits for a distance of about 47 km. The supply of drinking water through the channel has been extended to 33 more villages and irrigation water to 47,000 acres. According to 2011 census, Tadepalli municipality has a population of 54,362 and Mangalagiri municipality 73,613. The total population in the GMC is put at 7.3 lakh. The population in Guntur city is on the rise after the commencement of development of capital region Amaravati. The total floating population of the region is estimated at 2 lakh a day.
The supply of water through the Guntur Channel depends on the water level in the Krishna river at Prakasam Barrage. If the water level in the river is above 7 feet, there is no problem to draw Krishna water through the channel. The water is pumped into the channel if the level at Prakasam Barrage is below 7 feet.
Irrigation Executive Engineer M Babu Rao said the silt removal and other maintenance works of the Guntur Channel were undertaken at a cost of `1.3 crore. The works have been completed as per schedule. “Krishna river water to the GMC, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri municipalities for drinking purpose and irrigation water for Kharif will be supplied through the channel in a couple of days,” he said.