Bhubaneswar: The Hirakud Dam authorities have closed four of its sluice gates, reducing the number of gates from 20 to 16.
According to reports, the dam authorities decided to close four gates as the inflow of water into the Mahanadi River from the upper catchment areas of Chhattisgarh has gradually decreased. The Dam authorities had opened all 20 gates on Thursday to release floodwater due to incessant rainfall, which led to a discharge of 5,78,000 cusecs of water at Mundali. As the situation has slightly improved, 4 gates have been closed today.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has, meanwhile, predicted heavy rainfall in several districts of Odisha under the influence of depression over Bay of Bengal. The regional weather office has issued a red warning for southern districts, predicting extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds. An orange warning has been issued for the neighbouring districts of South Odisha.
