Bhubaneswar: Matters relating to the safety of Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur figured prominently in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday with opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) expressing concern over the issue.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the House, Deputy Leader of Opposition Prasanna Acharya said safety of the dam has become a matter of serious concern due to reports about the reservoir’s water-holding capacity.
Citing an assessment made last year, the BJD leader said its findings indicated a 27 per cent reduction in the reservoir’s water-holding capacity.
With heavy silt accumulating in the dam, he said lack of proper maintenance may pose a major threat to both the state and the country in the coming years.
Acharya also criticised the move to allocate land near the reservoir to companies for large hotel projects, stating that the decision grossly ignored the safety needs of the dam.
Responding to the BJD leader’s concerns, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the Centre had already brought Dam Safety Act in 2021 as such matters are quite serious. The Minister further stated that he had held discussions on the matter with the Union Jal Shakti Minister.
A Japanese firm was once engaged for silt removal, but the effort remained incomplete because of the presence of trees inside the dam, he said, adding that the state government had informed the Centre about the matter. Work for strengthening the safety of Hirakud dam structure is in progress and all necessary steps are being taken in this regard.
