Hirakud Dam Releases Season’s First Floodwaters

Sambalpur: Following a rise in the water level due to incessant rain in the upper catchment of the Mahanadi, the Hirakud Dam authorities in Odisha’s Sambalpur district released this season’s first floodwaters from the reservoir after a ceremonial puja at 11 am on Monday.

According to sources, five sluice gates (left 3 and right 2) of the reservoir were opened to discharge water. Currently, the water level stands at 613.08 feet as against its intake capacity of 630 feet. The inflow and outflow at the reservoir stand at 1,35,141 cusecs and 39,348 cusecs respectively.

Since the discharge of water will subsequently lead to an increase in the water level of Mahanadi and its other distributaries, an alert has been sounded for people residing downstream of the Hirakud dam. The floodwaters will reach Mundali in the next 36 hours.