Prakasam Barrage

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India /Andhra Pradesh /Krishna /Vijayawada

Prakasam Barrage, Krishna and Guntur Districts , Near Undavalli Caves, Vijayawada. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Prakasam Barrage is built across the Krishna River and is located at the outskirts of Vijayawada in Krishna District. This modern regulator and road bridge stretches across the Krishna River and is named after the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Sri Tanguturi Prakasam. Prakasam Barrage is one of the earliest irrigation projects of south India and the scheme has transformed Krishna delta into the granary of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh largely owes its richness in agriculture to the Prakasam Barrage as the project has helped in the irrigation of huge agricultural lands. The barrage provides gorgeous view with the shimmering lake. The balmy breeze and the placid waters make it one of the major travel attractions in Vijayawada. It is the largest in the asian continent. The water is used for drinking, irrigation and transport. From the tourist’s point of view, the tall barrage presents the city in a capsule. Drive onto it for the unbeatable wide angle view of Vijayawada.

Prakasam Barrage, Vijayawada

HistoryEdit

The Prakasam Barrage doubles up as a road bridge, and the last three canals of the barrage pass through Vijayawada. The dam over the river came about from an idea that originated in the year 1798 in the mind of Captain Buckle, before being reinforced by Captain Best and Captain Lake in the year 1839 and 1841 respectively. Following the approval by Major Cotton, the dam was further given a green signal by the board of Directors of East India Company on January 5, 1850. The construction started in the year 1852 and was completed three years later in 1855. The bridge was built later on and named after Sri Tanguturi Prakasam, the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The dam irrigates over 1.2 Million acres of land, and is the first major irrigation project of South India.Besides irrigating vast tracts of farmland, the dam provides a spectacular view of the lake and has become a major tourist attraction of Vijayawada.
Prakasam Barrage is 1223.5 m long and was completed in the year 1957. The barrage across the Krishna, first built by “Sir Arthur Cotton” more than a hundred years ago and later reconstructed in the 1950s, had been in a state of disrepair since the construction of the Vijayawada Thermal Power Station (VTPS) in 1979, as water level up to a minimum of 17.42 metres has to be maintained to facilitate the passage of water into the cooling canal which carries water to the thermal plant at Ibrahimpatnam. As VTPS with a capacity of 1,260 MWs (six units of 210 MWs each) is one of the major sources of power to the power-starved State, the barrage could not be depleted for the past 22 years. Made in 1855, the barrage on the Krishna regulates the water levels trapped between the city and the series of hills around it.

Must SeeEdit

Attraction

Visiting TimeEdit

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Best Season to VisitEdit

Throughout the year

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1 – 2 hours.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A

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Guide Required : No Edit

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Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Hotel Sree Panchavati ; Main Rd, Kaleswara Rao Market, Mallikarjunapeta, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh 520001 ; Ph/M – 0866 242 6669 ; Food Serve – Indian

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Cabs in Vijayawada are available in plenty, and these cabs charge fares of around Rs 14 per kilometer. Cabs, buses and auto rickshaws will all be available from major places like the railway station. Friends Travels- Ph: 0866 2487999 ; Victory Travels- Ph: 0866 2545569

Bus : APSRTC buses connect Vijayawada with all other cities in Andhra Pradesh. Many tourist bus service providers offer deluxe, super deluxe and A/C bus services from Vijayawada to many major cities in South and Central India, including Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore and Mumbai. These buses charge about Rs 2-4 per km.

Train : Vijayawada is an important railway Station on the Chennai – Delhi rail route. The station is connected to all railway stations in India. Regular train services are available from Vijayawada to Hyderabad (Satavahana Exp), Visakhapatnam (Vskp Garib Rath), Delhi (Swarnajayanti E), Mumbai (Konark Express), Kolkata (Vsg Howrah Exp), Chennai (Ghy Sbc Express) and Bangalore (Hte Ypr Express).

Air : Vijayawada airport is located at Gannavaram, which is about 20 km away from the city. Regular flights services are available from Vijayawada to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. International travelers have to get connecting flights from Hyderabad. Taxi services are available from Airport to the city, costing about Rs 400.

Others : Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also available in Vijayawada, with auto rickshaws being the faster mode of transport. They do not run on meter and fares have to be fixed or negotiated in advance. Tariffs during night travel may be one and a half times the actual rate. Cycle rickshaw rides are cheap and fares will range anywhere within Rs 5-15, but these rickshaws are very slow.