The Polavaram left main canal in the Godavari irrigation system at Jaggampeta in East Godavari district developed a breach in the early hours of Wednesday owing to huge inflows of rainwater into it.
“The bund of the Polavaram left main canal has breached for nearly 100 metres at Jaggampeta. The immediate reasons are huge inflows of rainwater into the canal and the ongoing works on the canal. The breach can be completely plugged only when the inflows recede,” Irrigation Superintendent Engineer Srinivas Yadav told The Hindu.
The canal modernisation works, taken up as a part of the Purushottapatnam Stage II project, are expected to be complete by early 2021 to ensure supply of water for irrigation in the district. It will also supply drinking water to the north Andhra region, apart from meeting the water need of the industries in Visakhapatnam district.
Irrigation officials have rushed to the spot and are attempting to plug the beach. However, rainwater continues to enter the nearby fields and habitations in the Jaggampeta mandal.
Preliminary reports say that water has entered Ramavaram and Bhagat Singh Nagar, and was flowing over the national highway at Jaggampeta.
