The authorities are constantly monitoring the level at the Prakasam barrage across the Krishna river and they said if Monday night passed without much damage to the 200 villages downstream in the two districts the threat would be averted.
Officials are describing it as the worst floods in Krishna river in 100 years.
The focus of the flood threat has now shifted to the coastal areas. Kurnool and Mahbubnagar districts, which bore the brunt of the flood fury during the last four days, are struggling to come back to normalcy. Though the officials have put the death toll at 49, it could go up as dozens of people are still reported missing.
The inflows in the Prakasam barrage have crossed a record million cusecs, inundating parts of Vijayawada, one of the state's biggest cities with 1.2 million people, located on the banks of the river. Dozens of villages downstream have submerged while thousands of people are being evacuated. More than 200,000 people have been evacuated in Krishna and Guntur districts.
The weakening embankments at a few points along the river have raised the spectre of inundation of vast areas and authorities have mobilised 300,000 sand bags to strengthen the embankments.
The water level at the barrage, the last irrigation project across Krishna river before it falls in the Bay of Bengal, stands at 21.5 feet.
Though authorities said there was no threat to the barrage, the weakening embankments at a few points was worrying.
The barrage has never faced such massive inflows in its history.
The state government urged the centre to declare the floods a national calamity. This will enable the state to avail assistance under the National Calamity Contingency Fund
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