Bhubaneswar, 31 July (H.S.): Authorities in Odisha have opened 10 additional gates of the Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur following a steady rise in the reservoir’s water level due to persistent heavy rainfall across the region.

Earlier, two gates had been opened to release excess floodwater. With continued inflow, officials intensified water discharge measures to maintain safe reservoir levels.

As of 6:00 AM on Friday, the water level in the Hirakud Reservoir stood at 623.52 feet, nearing its full storage capacity of 630 feet. The dam is currently receiving an inflow of approximately 369,322 cusecs per second, while around 65,543 cusecs of water is being discharged downstream.

Sanjay Kumar Choudhary, Chief Engineer of the Hirakud Dam, stated that gate operations are being carried out with careful consideration of conditions in downstream and low-lying areas. He noted that nearly 8 lakh cusecs of water is currently flowing through Mundali, adding that discharge levels are expected to gradually decline.

Officials indicated that a flow of up to 10 lakh cusecs is categorized as a flood situation. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no further rainfall in the region until August 4, offering some relief to flood management efforts.

Authorities continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure the safety of downstream regions and prevent any potential flooding.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda