Sambalpur: Authorities of the Hirakud Dam have decided to release the first Mahanadi floodwater of this season from the Hirakud dam on July 24.
“There has been rapid inflow of the Mahanadi floodwater into the Hirakud reservoir as the Chhattisgarh government have opened most of the gates of the barrages and dams due to heavy rains in the upper catchments,” said Jyotirmaya Rath, chief engineer of Hirakud Dam said.
He said Prior to the release of the floodwater, the dam authorities have informed the riverside districts and the administrations to stay on alert.According to available information, the water level of the dam was 607.25 feet by 6 pm on Thursday.The inflow of the floodwater into the reservoir was 1,17,600 cusecs per second while the outflow was 15,540 cusecs per second.
The optimum water level of the dam is 630 feet.
Rath also said that the volume of the floodwater would be decided after assessing the amount of rainfall in the lower catchments.
“The release of the floodwater would be made according to the Rule Curve,” he pointed out.
The water level of the reservoir would rise further as the Met office has warned of heavy rain in the upper catchments in the next 48 hours with the formation of a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
