Sambalpur: Authorities on Thursday increased the discharge of water from the Hirakud Reservoir by opening 10 sluice gates as the water level continued to rise, marking the first release of floodwater from the dam this year.
The annual water release commenced after a traditional puja ceremony held after 11 am. As per long-standing practice, gate number 7 on the Hirakud side was opened first, followed by three more gates, taking the initial count to four gates—three on the left spillway and one on the right. With inflows continuing to increase during the day, six additional gates were opened in the afternoon, raising the total number of open gates to 10.
According to official data available at 3 pm, the reservoir’s water level stood at 624.93 feet against its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 630 feet. The reservoir was receiving an inflow of 1,74,181 cusecs, while the total outflow was 88,372 cusecs.
Of the total discharge, 59,314 cusecs was released through the spillway, 25,481 cusecs through the power channel, 247 cusecs was supplied to industries and 3,330 cusecs was released through the canal system.
Officials said floodwater released from Hirakud generally takes 12 to 16 hours to reach Khairmal and Barmul and around 36 to 48 hours to reach Munduli. In view of the release, advance alerts have been issued for downstream areas likely to witness a rise in river levels.
The reservoir’s dead storage level is 590 feet, while the maximum storage level is fixed at 630 feet. Authorities said the gates are operated keeping flood management requirements and the structural safety of the dam in view.
The Chief Engineer of the Mahanadi Basin has advised people living along the Mahanadi and its tributaries downstream to remain cautious, as the release is expected to raise river water levels. The public has been urged to avoid entering rivers or using them for any purpose until conditions become safe.
