Post News Network
Sambalpur/Burla, April 14: Refuting concerns about the safety of the Hirakud dam, officials Tuesday said there is no threat to the dam as a 12-member joint delegation comprising officials of Central Water Commission (CWC), World Bank and the state government visited the dam site and examined its safety.
Spill ways were made to release 15 lakh cusec of water when the dam was constructed. According to a report, additional spill ways are needed to be erected in the wake of soil erosion at upper catchment areas of the dam due to lack of proper upkeep, mud deposit in the base of the dam and development of crack in the dam.
However, chief engineer (dam safety) Debashis Mohanty said there is absolutely no threat to the dam. “The state government has taken all initiatives for proper management of dam water and government would act upon the recommendations made by the delegation,” he added.
The amount of water released from the dam is about one-and-half-time more than the requirement, dam’s chief engineer Biswajit Mohanty said quoting an assessment by the CWC.
The joint team is verifying different spots of the dam to streamline the release of water, he added. Sambalpur town would be under threat if more than 50 gates of the dam are opened. However, this can be avoided if about five lakh cusec of water is released through the right dyke of the dam into Jhainjor nullah, Biswajit told media.
A number of proposals are in place to carry out the plan. Certain amount of water would be released into Mahanadi river through Veliti hill near Gandhi Minar. This apart, an additional spill way would be created which will help in releasing water from the right dyke through Jhainjor nullah. However, some lands are needed to be acquired for the purpose. The details of the lands to be acquired would be known once the map is ready. World Bank would grant financial assistance to the project, he added.
Besides, a proposal has been sent to IIT, Chennai through World Bank for the de-silting of the dam as the mud deposit in the base has adversely affected the water containing capacity of the dam. The process would start following a survey by IIT experts, he added.
