Hirakud Dam in Odisha has released water, prompting a high alert in downstream areas.
The water level at Hirakud was 616.93 ft at 6 am, below its full capacity of 630 ft. The inflow was 3,16,000 cusec, while the outflow was 40,126 cusec.
Arpit Pattnaik
The Hirakud Dam authorities have released the first flood water of the season into the river Mahanadi. As a result, the Odisha government has asked the collectors of seven downstream districts to be on high alert and advise people to stay away from the riverbank. The authorities opened sluice gate number seven after a customary puja, followed by others. A total of 20 gates will be opened in three phases: 7 gates at 9:30 am, another 7 at 12:30 pm, and the remaining 6 gates at 2:30 pm to flush out excess water due to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas and the inflow of water into the reservoir.
The water level of Hirakud Dam stood at 616.93 ft, against its full reservoir capacity of 630 feet, at 6 am. The inflow of water into the reservoir was 316,000 cusec, while the outflow was 40,126 cusec. The state government stated that due to the opening of 20 gates, the Khairmal discharge would be around 4.50 lakh cusecs by 8 am on July 29, and the Mundali discharge will be around 5 lakh cusecs by 11 am on July 30.
The collectors of Sambalpur, Sonepur, Nayagarh, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapada have been instructed to alert people downstream not to go near the Mahanadi riverside, and to keep animals away from the river. Collectors are also required to remain alert and monitor the situation. The District Emergency Operation Centre will be manned by senior officers to ensure that no untoward incident occurs, as communicated by the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) in a letter to collectors.
