VIJAYAWADA: Krishna district in-charge minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government has set its focus on constructing three barrages over River Krishna — one upstream Prakasam Barrage and two downstream — to tap the surplus flood water that goes waste into the sea.
The State Cabinet, which met on Friday, discussed the plan of constructing a barrage with 10 TMC capacity at Vaikuntapuram. Two more with a cumulative capacity of over 6 TMC were already sanctioned.
In the district irrigation advisory board meeting held here on Friday, the minister noted that about 26 TMC of water would be given for Rabi season this year so that 1.55 lakh acres in the district could get irrigation water. He noted that 16 TMC of water was given in Rabi in 2019-20 for about 83,900 acres in Pedana, Kaikalur, Machipatnam constituencies.
This year, the minister said, as the number of flood days were higher than last year’s, more water could be given. “Water would be given this time to 10,400 acres in Eluru and Denduluru constituencies under Eluru canal and bandal canal, which did not get water last year. Last year, water reached Prakasam Barrage for 84 days in total, while this year it is already 112 days,” the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister explained.