The floodgates of Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada were damaged on Monday, September 2, after three docked boats washed away from the upstream and hit the gates strongly. The damage has become a major cause of concern. The mishap has damaged the concrete columns that hold the counterweight of the floodgates at gate no. 69, according to reports.
The Krishna river is receiving unprecedented inflows due to the recent rains.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, however, said that they cannot rule out the possibility of a conspiracy behind the incident.
“Since criminals are there in politics, people are always suspecting a conspiracy. Even I suspect it. We do not know where these boats came from. It directly hit the gates of Prakasam Barrage. Since it did not hit the crucial point of the barrage, we are safe for now.”
Insinuating that opposition leader Jagan could be behind the incident, the CM said, “People who killed Vivekananda Reddy and claimed that he died of a heart attack could possibly have done this. We cannot rule out the possibility.”
Meanwhile, the irrigation officials have been tasked to assess the damage caused to the barrage. The police are also investigating the incident.
The CM said that Kannaiah Naidu, the advisor to the state government, will oversee repair works.
Police have closed the barrage for vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure due to the damage to the barrage.