Officials in Vijayawada have decided to adopt a new plan, known as Plan B, after their first attempt to remove large boats stuck at the Prakasam Barrage failed.
In the initial operation, heavy cranes were used to try to move the boats, but the effort was unsuccessful. The boats, which weigh over 20 tonnes each, were stuck against the barrage gates and tangled with each other. They were also filled with sand, making them even heavier. Despite working for five hours with cranes that can lift 50 tonnes, no progress was made. As a result, the operation was stopped for the day.
Now, as part of Plan B, divers from Visakhapatnam are being brought in to assist. These expert divers will enter the water and use special cutters to break the submerged boats into smaller pieces. The divers are expected to arrive tomorrow morning and start the process. Once the boats are cut into pieces, officials will decide whether to let the pieces float downstream or lift them out with cranes.
The problem started on September 1 when four large boats, coming from upstream, damaged the counterweights of gates 67, 68, and 69 of the barrage. Over 2 lakh cusecs of water are currently flowing downstream, which is making the removal process challenging. Despite the strong water flow, staff have managed to close gates 68 and 69 to help position the boats for removal.
