Probe begins in boat collision at Prakasam Barrage case, says minister Nimmala Ramanaidu

Vijayawada :

*We are investigating the incident of boat collision with Prakasam barrage

*Each aspect is coming out in the investigation.

*Strict legal action should be taken against those who want to harm the rice donors(farmers) who give rice to all.

*While our government is focusing on construction, the opposition is moving towards destruction.

*Chief Minister is very serious about the incident.

*Restoration of counterweights will be completed in two days.

*Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu.

Investigation is going on in the incident where five boats collided with Prakasam Barrage :

State Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu has warned that strict legal action should be taken against those who try to harm the rice donors who provide rice to all.

On Tuesday, Minister spoke to the media at the District Collectorate Vijayawada. He said that the barrage served the combined Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts for about 100 years from 1854 to 1952. After the barrage was damaged by the floods in 1952, the government reconstructed it and named it after former Chief Minister Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu. Since 1957, about 13.8 lakh acres have been irrigated and drinking water has been provided to lakhs of people through Prakasam Barrage.

This barrage is serving the joint Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts as a boon. Thus the old dam has a history of one hundred years and the new dam has a history of about 70 years. That means Prakasam Barrage has a solid history of almost 170 years. There is a conspiracy behind five boats hitting the Prakasam barrage in a crucial situation where 11,42,000 cusecs of flood water came. Investigating agencies are conducting a thorough investigation to find out the facts about the incident. Five boats weighing 40-50 tonnes each crossed gates 67, 69 and 70 of Prakasam Barrage during high flood and hit the counterweight. Fortunately, the boats hit the counterweight without causing any damage to the main structure or the gates of the barrage. It is difficult to imagine how much damage would be done to the five districts if the gates or the main structure had really been hit.

A complaint has been filed by the Irrigation Department to the Police Department to investigate the entire incident. The investigation is going on very fast. Farmers and farmers' associations say that this whole incident raises many suspicions. Such heavy boats are usually anchored on the river bank. Each boat is valued at If it is Rs 40-50 lakhs.. tying 3 boats worth all that with a single plastic rope raises a lot of doubts. Suspicions are being raised that such valuable boats were deliberately made to collide with the barrage without taking care. Out of the total five boats, one boat went down between the gates and three boats were identified. We are finding the location of another boat. It leads to suspicion that the owner of the three identified boats is the same. Ushadri, the owner of these boats, was a follower of Komati Rammohan. The kinship of this Rammohan Talashila Raghuram raises suspicions. Nandigam Suresh formed a syndicate with the support of the previous government and looted the sand illegally through dredging. The boats also have YSR CP colors. In this investigation, one thing is coming out.

Even if the locals told them to keep the boats anchored and take care, if they neglected it, the investigation also expressed suspicions that they had some other wrong idea in their minds.These three boats were earlier towards Uddhandaraunipalem of Guntur district. It seems that they were brought towards Gollapudi of NTR district a few days before this flood and tied with plastic wire. This means that there is a suspicion that the flood has been kept at the speed of the flood on purpose. There is a suspicion that they have an idea to damage the Prakasam barrage and bring bad name to the government. From the very beginning, YSR CP has the mentality of stripping for the chair and posts.If the farmer labors hard and harvests the crop, that crop is also on fire.

The history is theirs. No matter who the wrongdoers are, strict action will be taken without letting them go :

At present counterweights are being set up with iron blocks under the leadership of experienced Kannayya Naidu. We are working hard to complete the work within two days. We are doing these things without taking any small risk. The work of fixing the Tungabhadra Dam gate was done under the leadership of Kannaya Naidu when the flood flow was going like never before in the history of the country. Kannayya Naidu said on that day that when the gate was washed away by the flood, he saw tears in the eyes of the farmers. That's why Hon'ble Chief Minister suggested that Prakasam Barrage should be taken forward with his suggestions. The work is going on now without even a small mistake anywhere. Efforts are made to complete the work in two days with very careful handling. Minister Ramanaidu said that the incident is being investigated in terms of safety of Prakasam barrage and not politically.