Campbell aqueduct under flood water in Diviseema

Inflow exceeds seven-and-a-half lakh cusecs on Saturday morning

The Campbell aqueduct, where river Krishna splits into two branches, is under flood water and the inflow exceeded seven-and-a-half lakh cusecs on Saturday morning.

The aqueduct was inundated for the second time in the past decade, the last time being in 2009 when the inflow was nearly 12 lakh cusecs. According to the available literature, the foundation stone for construction of the aqueduct cum bridge was laid in 1934 by the Government of Madras Member (Irrigation and Revenue) Sir A.Y.G. Campbell. Cannon Dunkerley and Co. Limited was the construction agency.

However, at 7 lakh cusecs of inflow at the aqueduct, there is always a threat of breaching of the embankments, apart from flooding island habitations Edlanka, Puligadda Pallepalem, Regullanka, Vasumatla, Bobbarlanka, and K. Kothapalem, where several houses are already flooded with the water.

“There will be no threat for the aqueduct, given its design and present state of construction stability. However, the only concern is outflow down the aqueduct, that normally receives huge inflow of seawater due to high tide near the river’s confluence point into the Bay of Bengal”, Bandar Revenue Divisional Officer J. Udaya Bhaskar told The Hindu.

According to an official release by Krishna District Collector A.Md.Imtiaz, at least 24 boats were in operation, evacuating the affected people in the islands of river Krishna. The police across the Diviseema region are on alert, attending to the needy and ensuring they reached the relief camps.

The standing crops of banana, turmeric and other horticulture crops down the aqueduct were being flooded, leaving farmers worried.

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