VIJAYAWADA: In what can bring relief to the acute drinking water shortage in Vijayawada, the irrigation authorities on Thursday released 1.05 TMC water from upstream Pulichintala Project into Prakasam Barrage.
Though 1.05 TMC water was released from Pulichintala Project into Prakasam Barrage, 0.9 TMC water will reach the barrage on Friday after evaporation losses and distribution to canals. Nevertheless, as a result of water release, people of Vijayawada can get water supply till the first week of June, an official said.
“With the fresh inflows into the Prakasam Barrage, water supply will be augmented and we can provide water till the first week of June,’’ Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) divisional engineer (water) K Narayana Murthy said.
After the release of water from Pulichintala project, District Collector A Md Imtiaz accompanied by superintendent engineer (irrigation) KVLN Chowdary inspected the inflows into Krishna river from Command Control Room near Durga Ghat on Thursday. The Collector called upon the residents of Vijayawada and its suburbs to utilise water judiciously during summer.
Meanwhile, after observing poor sanitation on the premises of Durga Ghat, Imtiaz directed Kanaka Durga temple executive officer V Koteswaramma and municipal officials to ensure cleanliness and hygiene at the ghat to avoid inconvenience to devotees.