Sambalpur: With inflows into the Hirakud reservoir rising steadily due to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, authorities Saturday opened two more gates of the dam, taking the total number of open sluice gates to 22.
The decision was taken to regulate the increasing volume of water entering the reservoir and prevent pressure on the dam structure, Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department Dillip Raut said.
As of Friday night, the reservoir’s water level stood at 625.25 feet, inching closer to its full reservoir level of 630 feet. The dam is currently receiving an average inflow of 4.52 lakh cusecs, while around 3.89 lakh cusecs of excess water is being released downstream.
Officials said the situation is being monitored round the clock and gate operations may be adjusted depending on future inflows. Efforts are also underway to ensure that water discharge at Naraj remains below 10 lakh cusecs, as the river level there is approaching the danger mark.
The flood situation has already affected more than 8 lakh people across Odisha, with Bhadrak, Baleshwar, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal among the worst-hit districts. More than 2.68 lakh people have been evacuated so far, while relief and rescue operations continue in vulnerable areas.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected regions Saturday to review the situation and ongoing response measures.
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