Repairs to the damaged gates at the Prakasam Barrage are currently in progress, with officials working under the guidance of experts. The repair operations are specifically focused on gates number 67 and 69, which suffered significant damage. The mishap occurred when a boat collided with the counterweight at gate 69, leading to its breakage. The work is being meticulously supervised by expert Kannayyanaidu, with chief engineer Thota Ratnakumar overseeing the overall project.
The incident, which took place two days ago, involved iron boats that were swept away by the floodwaters flowing from the upper reaches of the Krishna River. These boats struck the barrage gates, resulting in the damage. While the counterweight at gate number 64 sustained minor damage, the counterweight at gate number 69 was severely damaged, breaking in the middle.
The Krishna River experienced record-level flooding on September 2, which caused the boats anchored by fishermen in the upper reaches of Bhavanipuram, Gollapudi, and Ibrahimpatnam to be swept away. Of the four boats that were carried off by the strong currents, one collided with the counterweight at gate 69 and became lodged there. Two other boats followed suit, crashing into the first and stopping. A fourth boat, which struck the counterweight at gate 64, sustained minor damage and is now stuck as well.
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