A fresh political battle has broken out in Andhra Pradesh over the damage caused to the iconic Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada after five sand-laden boats drifted along the Krishna River during the recent floods and slammed into the bridge.
Despite several attempts using heavy cranes to remove the wooden boats, each weighing around 40-50 tonnes, the authorities could not find any success. These boats had rammed into the barrage at gates 67, 69 and 70 on the night of September 1 when all 70 gates were opened to release the flood water downstream.
Even as efforts are being made to remove the boats, a political slugfest has broken out, with the ruling Telugu Desam Party alleging that they are painted in rival YSR Congress Party colours. While speaking at Eluru, where he inspected flood-affected areas, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that the boats belonged to YSRCP members and were deliberately let loose in the swollen river to complicate the situation.
The boats hit the counterweights of the Prakasam barrage— weighing 15 tonnes each — when the flood discharge was 11.43 cusecs.
“If the boats had collided with the barrage’s columns, the damage would have been unimaginable. The boats are painted in YSRCP colours even though they are denying their party members do not own them. They did this as revenge for their defeat,” Naidu said.
According to Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu, the damage was limited. “If they had hit the columns, it would have been serious,” he said. The boats were purposefully let loose to damage the barrage and cause floods downstream, he said.
“The boats were not anchored properly despite the flood. It appears to be a deliberate act as no one has claimed ownership of the boats, which cost over Rs 50 lakhs each,” he said, adding that the police are investigating the sabotage angle.
The Water Resources Department lodged a complaint at Vijayawada Police station under Sections 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others) and 326 (B) mischief by injury to public road, bridge, river or channel). Boat owners K Ushadri and K Ram Mohan have been arrested in the case.
According to police sources, while Ushadri is a local YSRCP leader, Ram Mohan is a relative of YSRCP MLC Talasila Raghuram. Ramanaidu alleged that all three are close to former YSRCP MP Nandigama Suresh and that they are part of a sand dredging and smuggling ring.
On its part, the YSRCP has hit back claiming that the Naidu government was “making the allegations to divert the attention from alleged mishandling of the flood situation”.
The state was witnessing unprecedented flooding, former Minister Ambati Rambabu said. “Several boats including AP Tourism boats broke loose and drifted and got stuck elsewhere. Hundreds of boats were damaged. The TDP is using these three boats to defame and malign YSRCP because they could not handle the situation properly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the political wrangling intensified after both parties released photos of the boat owners meeting rival leaders. The TDP was the first to release photos of K Ushadri and K Ram Mohan participating in YSRCP programmes and functions.
But it soon emerged that Ram Mohan was also related to TDP NRI cell head Komati Jayaram, giving ammunition to the rival YSRCP, which soon released photos of the arrested boat owner meeting minister Nara Lokesh Naidu and other TDP leaders.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to rope in expert divers from Visakhapatnam and Kakinada to free the heavy boats that remain stuck at the barrage.
“These experts will enter the water and dismantle the boats by cutting them into pieces using specialised cutters,” an official said.
After the boats are cut, the irrigation department officials will decide whether to send the pieces downstream with the water flow or lift them out with cranes and move them away from the barrage using air balloons.
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