కృష్ణ తరంగాలు ....Andhra's own Niagara

FURY UNLEASHED: Tourists trooped in to see this not-so-common sight at Srisailam.




SPELLBINDING: People watching the Krishna in spate at the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada on Sunday. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar



LOOK AT THAT! An awe-struck little admirer looks on at Nagarjunasagar

NAGARJUNASAGAR: Nagarjunasagar, the world's largest masonry dam, is overcrowded by a different class of visitors called rain tourists for the past three days.

Thousands of them are descending on the place to feast on the glorious sight of the rising and falling Krishna water before it flows away towards the sea via Prakasam barrage at Vijayawada.

This spectacle was not witnessed in the last seven years.

As gushing waters drop with a roar to a depth of about 560 feet into the bucket level and bounce back to a height of over 200 feet as an enchanting foam, visitors thrilled by the cool spray on their face couldn't resist cries of joy. Occasionally rainbows arise at the feet of the project to the delight of one and all.

Even a heavy downpour in the evening did not dampen the spirit of the visitors standing on the old bridge watching the swirling waters flow past. It gives me a feeling that I am at the world's famous Niagara falls, said Ram Kumar, a US-based software professional, who is in India on a fortnight's visit.

Though the authorities opened only 16 gates till afternoon, six more were lifted as the inflows into the reservoir rose steadily on Saturday evening. But they closed down four this evening while letting out 5.5 lakh cusecs of water into the sea.

The bathing ghats, constructed during last year's Krishna Pushkaram, were submerged by the surging waters. The Tourism department, which operates mechanised boats to Nagarjuna konda, a hillock housing a museum to depict Buddhist culture located in the middle of the river, suspended its ferry services for the last four days.

I was having my siesta but my children woke me up and wanted me to take them to the dam to see the release of water, Mallaiah, a security officer of the Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation (APGenco) at the Nagarjunasagar dam power house, told this website's newspaper.

He has been working at this place since 2000 but the last time water was discharged on this scale was in 1998.

Caught unawares by the heavy rush of tourists after many years, those at the two Punnami restaurants of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) at the dam are finding it tough to arrange food.

However, officials have swung into action to make necessary arrangements for the comfort of the tourists.

Courtesy: NewIndPress

Photos Courtesy: The Hindu
,Eenadu