Bhubaneswar: The authorities of Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur district have released excess water of the season from the reservoir due to heavy rainfall and rising water levels from inflow from the upper catchment. As of 9:00 AM today, the water level at the reservoir stood at 609.45 feet.
After customary worship, the authorities opened Sluice gate number 7 to release the excess water, and a total of 12 sluice gates – eight on the left and four on the right – will be opened in phases to discharge the season’s first floodwater from the dam.
The dam authorities took this precautionary step after closely monitoring the water levels, which have been steadily rising due to upstream rainfall. Villages in the lower catchment of the Hirakud dam have been alerted regarding the rise in water level following the opening of the dam gates.
The authorities have warned that more gates may be opened if rainfall continues and the inflow into the reservoir increases further, in order to manage the dam’s storage capacity.
