Odisha Govt Rules Out Flood Situation; 26 Sluice Gates Of Hirakud Dam Kept Open

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Sunday ruled out the likelihood of any flood in the state despite heavy rain in different areas over the last few days.

This was stated by Engineer-in-Chief in Water Resources department, Bhakti Ranjan Mohanty. He said the state is unlikely to encounter any flood despite heavy rain in different areas over the last few days.

As the water level in Hirakud reservoir in Sambalpur increased following heavy downpour in the upper catchment areas of Mahanadi river, a total of 26 of the 64 sluice gates of the dam have been opened to discharge excess water, he said.

Following release of excess water from the Hirakud reservoir, some low-lying areas in the state have been inundated, he said, adding that the water will recede in a day or two.

Ruling out any flood situation in Mahanadi river basin, Mohanty said excess water from Hirakud dam is being released through 26 sluice gates at present and there is no plan to open more gates.

Though more rain is likely to take place from September 22, it is unlikely to create any flood situation and the Water Resources department is in close contact with the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), he said.

Meanwhile, the flow of water in Mahanadi river was recorded at around 6.83 lakh cusec at Mundali near Cuttack, 6.70 lakh cusec at Barmul and over 6.30 lakh cusec at Khairmal, official sources said.