Cyclone Murasu: All 70 gates of Prakasam Barrage opened; 71,000 cusecs released into Krishna

Floodwater being released from the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada. All 70 gates of the barrage were opened on Wednesday after heavy rain from Cyclone Murasu in the Krishna basin. File | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Heavy rain continues in the Krishna basin under the influence of Cyclone Murasu. The Water Resources Department (WRD) has suspended water supply to canals and opened all 70 gates of the Prakasam Barrage to send the surplus flow downstream.

The Prakasam Barrage was receiving 71,000 cusecs at 8 a.m. on Wednesday (November 4, 2026), and the entire quantity was being released into the Krishna river towards the Bay of Bengal. The water level stood at 12 feet.

To facilitate the discharge, 30 gates had been raised by two feet and another 40 by one foot. WRD officials have stopped releases into the Krishna Eastern, Krishna Western and Guntur canals as a precaution against possible flooding.

The inflows are being fed largely by the Keesara, Munneru and Budameru streams, which drain into the Krishna from the local catchment areas. Surplus releases from the barrage began on Tuesday night after inflows increased.

The decision to regulate the discharge comes amid reports of exceptionally heavy rainfall in NTR district and forecasts of more rain by the India Meteorological Department.

Officials are keeping a close watch on the river’s inflows and the situation in the upstream catchment areas. Residents in low-lying settlements along the Krishna riverbanks have been asked to exercise caution and comply with instructions from the authorities.

Heavy rain across central districts

Edlapadu in Palnadu district received the most rain in the State in the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 269.45 mm, according to the Andhra Pradesh Directorate of Economics and Statistics (APDES). Sixteen automatic weather station gauges in the state stations crossed 204.5 mm mark, the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s threshold for extremely heavy rain.

In NTR district, Chintalapadu in Tiruvuru mandal recorded 178.25 mm. Ghantasala in Krishna district got 222.75 mm.

Published - November 04, 2026 11:32 am IST