Vijayawada: Prakasam barrage gets World Heritage tag

Vijayawada : Prakasam Barrage, a more than 100-year-old irrigation structure that continues to serve people and has historical importance, has been declared a World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). The Prakasam barrage (Old Krishna Anicut) here is one of the 19 structures worldwide that the ICID has recognised for the year 2023.

The WHIS award will be presented by the president of ICID to Government of Andhra Pradesh at the 25th International Congress of ICID to be held in in Visakhapatnam from November 2 to 8. Indian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (INCID) director Avanti Verma informed this in a letter to principal secretary, state water resources department on Friday.

He said that ICID has instituted these awards with the aim of encouraging researchers who conduct research in this field to identify heritage structures that use water. He further informed that 19 structures were recommended and selected by the panel of judges among the nominations received on behalf of ICID and INCD for the World Heritage Irrigation Structures-2023 Awards, out of which 4 structures from India were selected for the World Heritage Irrigation Structures-2023 award, he added.

He said that the 4 selected structures from India are Prakasam barrage on Krishna river, Balidiha project in Odisha and the Jayamangala dam and Srivaikuntam dam in Tamil Nadu. Avanti Verma informed that the selected structures will be registered in the ICID Register of World Heritage Irrigation Structures, he said. The states selected for this award will be presented with the award at the 25th ICID Congress and 74th IEC meeting to be held in Visakhapatnam from November 2 to 8. Till 2022, India has received a total of 14 WHIS awards, of which Andhra Pradesh has received four awards for Cumbum Tank (2020), K-C Canal (2020), Porumamilla tank (2020) and Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (2022).