VIJAYAWADA: It is a known fact that a civilisation flourishes along the course of a river. Optimum utilisation of the water brings it prosperity. Case in point: Vijayawada and its neighbouring areas. Despite being on the banks of the river Krishna, the region had been drought-prone and the water used to flow into the sea. The fortunes of the region changed for the better once the Prakasam Barrage was built.
The barrage, which turned 60 on Sunday, is key to the development of the region. It not only helps in meeting the irrigation requirements of the coastal districts but also in supplying drinking water to the people. “The barrage, apart from connecting Krishna and Guntur districts, has transformed the region into the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh as availability (and storage) of water increased compared to the extent of cultivable land,” explains writer and historian Dr GV Purnachand.
Back in 1852, Charles Orr, with the designs conceived by Sir Arthur Cotton, built an anicut to address the problems of the region. But in 1952, a massive flood breached the anicut, necessitating the another project.
“That was when the then Chief Minister of the state Tanguturi Prakasam laid the foundation for the barrage in 1954. The project was completed on 24 December, 1957, and was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy who named it Prakasam Barrage,” recalls Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao.
The barrage, which was constructed with Rs 2.3 crore, has been serving the needs of two crore people ever since.“The barrage now has an ayacut of over 13 lakh acres in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts and has led to the stabilisation of the entire Krishna Delta region,” points out Kolanukonda Shivaji, the convenor of Krishna Delta Parirakshana Samithi.
‘It will serve for 50 more years without problems’
To mark 60 years of Prakasam Barrage, the State government will hold a function on December 29. Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will participate in the function to be held on the banks of river Krishna. “The barrage has been serving over two crore people for the last 60 years. Several visionaries helped in making the project a reality. Hence, the Water Resources Department will host a function at which people who worked for the project will be felicitated by the CM,” he said in a press interaction on Sunday after paying tributes to Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu at the barrage. He further added that the government, between 2002-04 and 2014-17, had spent Rs 91 crore for the fortification of the barrage. “Thanks to CM Naidu’s foresight, the barrage will serve the people for another 50 years without any problem,” he said.