‘Vaalu kaluva’ develops breach

Paddy fields in hundreds of acres in three mandals inundated

The bank of ‘Vaalu kaluva’ downstream of Yeleru reservoir has developed a breach at Rajupalem village in Kirlampudi mandal of East Godavari district late Sunday night inundating paddy fields in the hundreds of acres in the three mandals of Gollaprolu, Peddapuram, and Pithapuram.

Yeleru Irrigation Division Executive Engineer D.V. Ram Gopal told The Hindu: “The Vaalu Kaluva has developed a breach duo to huge inflows of flood water from the Yeleru river into the Yeleru Reservoir at Yeleswaram, where the discharge of flood water is 13,000 by Monday evening."

“The breach can be plugged only after the flood water recedes below 6,000 cusecs at the Yeleru Reservoir. We have arranged sand bags and other necessary material to plug the breach by Tuesday. The breach was due to delay in the proposed modernisation of the Vaalu Kaluva, for which land has also been acquired but the work is yet to be grounded,” said Mr. Ram Gopal.

Irrigation and revenue officials have estimated that the paddy fields in above 150 acres have already been inundated in Gollaprolu, Peddapuram and Pithapuram mandals due to the breach of the canal bank. “Our team of officials and the agriculture department staff are enumerating the fields inundated due to the breach," said East Godavari District Revenue Officer Ch. Sattibabu.