Anugola: Following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, authorities at Rengali Dam in Odisha’s Anugola district opened Gate No. 8 and activated the power channel to discharge excess floodwater into Brahmani River basin on Monday.
This marks the second time this year that water is being released to regulate swelling reservoir levels. The reservoir is currently receiving an inflow of approximately 2,500 cubic metres per second (cumecs). To maintain structural and operational safety, engineers are releasing nearly 2,000 cumecs through the dam’s sluice gate and power channel. The water level at the dam has risen to 122.14 metres, approaching its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 123.50 metres.
In light of the water discharge, the local administration and the Water Resources Department have issued safety advisories for people living downstream along the Brahmani River. They have advised to stay clear of the riverbanks and refrain from entering the water.
Officials confirmed that while current inflow continues to exceed outflow, the situation is being actively managed with no immediate downstream flood threat.
The water levels of the Baitarani, Salandi, Kani and parts of the Mahanadi river system, which had shown signs of receding on Saturday, rose sharply on Sunday following heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours, inundating low-lying areas, damaging crops, and disrupting road links in Jajpur and neighbouring Bhadrak districts. An embankment breach in Dasrathpur block that had been repaired earlier widened once more under pressure, forcing authorities to shift dozens of families to safer locations. Similar breaches and rising waters have affected multiple villages in Tarapada and surrounding panchayats, with residents remaining on high alert as weather forecasts indicate continued rainfall in the coming days with a fresh low-pressure area likely over Bay of Bengal around August 13.
On Sunday, additional four sluice gates of the Hirakud Dam were opened to release excess water from the reservoir, taking the total to 12, following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of neighbouring Chhattisgarh.