Bhubaneswar, 09 July (H.S.) : The authorities of the Hirakud Dam in Odisha's Sambalpur district on Thursday released the season's first floodwaters by opening four sluice gates of the reservoir. The controlled discharge began at 11:00 a.m. as the water level in the reservoir exceeded the prescribed limit under the dam's operational rule curve.

According to officials, the reservoir level, which is expected to remain at 605 feet during July as per the Rule Curve, has already crossed 615 feet due to heavy inflows from the upper catchment areas. To ensure the safety of the earthen dam, the Hirakud Dam authorities initiated the release of excess water.

In the first phase, four sluice gates were opened, releasing nearly 70,000 cusecs of water. The reservoir is currently receiving an inflow of approximately 2.20 lakh cusecs, prompting authorities to closely monitor the water level and downstream conditions.

The released water is expected to reach Mundali in Cuttack district within the next 36 hours. At present, around 2.50 lakh cusecs of water is already flowing through Mundali.

Chief Engineer of the Hirakud Dam Project assured that the controlled release of water is not expected to create any flood situation in the downstream areas. He said the operation of the sluice gates would be regulated based on real-time assessments of both upstream inflows and downstream river conditions. Additional gates will be opened if required to safely discharge excess water into the Mahanadi River.

The controlled discharge commenced with the opening of Sluice Gate No. 7 at around 11 a.m. Senior officials of the district administration and the Hirakud Dam Project were present during the operation. In keeping with long-standing tradition, special rituals, including puja and bhajans, were performed before the gates were opened.

Meanwhile, the Hirakud Dam authorities have issued a public advisory urging people to stay away from the Mahanadi riverbed, warning that the river's flow increases significantly following the release of water from the reservoir. Residents living along the riverbanks have also been advised to remain alert and follow instructions issued by the local administration.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda