Sambalpur: With heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, Hirakud Dam authorities in Sambalpur district of Odisha have opened 12 gates of the reservoir to manage the rising water level. At present, 7 gates have been opened on the left side of the bridge and 5 gates on the right side. The discharge is being done in a phased manner as inflow into the reservoir continues to increase.As per reports, as of this morning the water level at Hirakud stood at 624 ft. Around 3.86 lakh cusecs of water is entering the reservoir every second. Currently, about 3 lakh cusecs of water is being discharged from the dam into the Mahanadi.Officials said more gates may be opened further depending on the inflow. There is a possibility of 8 more gates being opened if the water level continues to rise.The Water Resources Department has alerted all districts in the Mahanadi basin to remain vigilant as flood water will move downstream.
Hirakud Dam opens 12 gates as Mahanadi swells, 8 more gates likely to be opened
