Bhubaneswar: In a bid to revolutionise flood management and enhance safety of both infrastructure and personnel at dams, barrages and intra-river reservoirs in the state, the Water Resources department has enunciated the ‘Automated Gate Scheme’.
Under the scheme, gates of 14 dams (76 gates), 10 barrages (153 gates), and 27 intra-river reservoirs (344 gates) will be automated using advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and 5G connectivity.
“Many of the state’s water management structures are located in remote and difficult-to-access areas, making manual gate operations particularly hazardous during natural disasters like fl oods and cyclones,” said an official.
Improper or delayed gate operations have, in the past, resulted in downstream flooding or posed structural threats to the dams themselves.
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To address these issues, the government has approved `80 crore for the scheme, emphasizing the use of real-time data, remote operations, and automated controls. SCADA-based system will allow operators to monitor water levels and control gates from centralised control rooms, that would help reduce response times during emergencies.
Key objectives of the scheme include remote gate operation from control rooms, enhanced safety for personnel by reducing on-site intervention, elimination of human error in gate management, and restricted access to dam and barrage infrastructure.
PNN