SURYAPETA: With heavy inflows from the Srisailam project, the popular shrine of Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Mattapally village, on the banks of river Krishna, remained closed for the second day due to waterlogging, following which the temple priests shifted all the valuable materials, including gold and silver ornaments and the Ustava Vigrahalu, in the temple to safe place on Thursday.
The inundation was caused by an increase in inflows from Srisailam project, over which the Nagarjuna Sagar dam officials were forced to open all 26 crest gates on Monday and releasing above seven lakh cusecs of water. Because of this, the Pulichinthala project, constructed under the downstream of Nagarjuna Sagar, reached its full level that led to waterlogging in its adjacent areas.
In connection with this, about five metres of water entered the premises of the shrine on the second day too. On Thursday, the flood water reached the Garba Gudi (sanctum sanctorum) up to two feet and the water stored in the premises and at Dwajasthambam escalated to about five feet.
Unable to remove the water from the premises using motors and not able to perform rituals, the temple authorities shifted all the valuable materials to a safe place and closed the temple for the time being on Thursday. Meanwhile, the current water level of the Pulichinthala project is 169.95 feet, whereas the reservoir’s full water level is 175 feet.
As many as 14 crest gates of the dam have been lifted, releasing a huge quantity of water to the downstream. The inflow from Nagarjunasagar is currently 6,44,000 cusecs, whereas the outflow is 6,38,700 cusecs.
Meanwhile, the Mattapally temple officials told Express that there will not be provided for visits until the water levels decrease.
Temple authorities shift valuables
As the Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple remained closed for the second day, the temple authorities shifted all the valuable materials in its possession, including gold and silver ornaments and the Ustava Vigrahalu, to a safe place on Thursday