Sambalpur: Four sluice gates of Hirakud Dam were opened Thursday to release season’s first floodwater.
At present, around 64,000 cusecs of floodwater is being discharged through the four sluice gates. Including releases through the power channel and the irrigation canal, the total discharge into the Mahanadi is approximately 95,000 cusecs.
Meanwhile, reservoir is receiving an inflow of around 1.74 lakh cusecs.
Chief Engineer of Hirakud Dam and Upper Mahanadi Basin, Pratap Chandra Choudhury, said there is no risk of flooding in downstream areas as rainfall in the upper catchment has reduced and the water level at Mundali has receded.
He added that five more sluice gates may be opened in the evening, depending on the situation, bringing the total number of open gates to nine.
According to Chief Engineer, the released floodwater will take around 36 hours to reach Mundali via Sambalpur. By then, the water level at Mundali is expected to decline further, ensuring the situation remains under control.
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