Bhubaneswar: Digapahandi MLA Sidhant Mohapatra raised an unstarred question over cracks in Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur district during the Question Hour of the ongoing Budget Session of the Odisha Assembly, to which Chief Minister Mohan Majhi gave a written reply. Mohapatra reportedly asked to the Chief Minister which report the Central Soil and Material Research Station (CSMRS), New Delhi, submitted after inspecting the cracks developed in the Hirakud Dam, how much cracks the dam has developed, whether the repair work has begun and which company has been assigned the work. In his reply to the MLA, the Chief Minister said, “The Central Soil and Material Research Station (CSMRS), New Delhi, had submitted its report after inspecting the cracks in the dam. The report revealed that the quality of the spillway concrete in comparison to its age is satisfactory. Some minor cracks have been noticed on the surface of the concrete and they are dead and inactive.” “The State Cabinet has already gave its approval for a comprehensive underwater, ground, and aerial surveys by the Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP)-III to assess the dam’s current condition and implement necessary rehabilitation measures,” he added. It is to be noted here that Odisha cabinet had earlier this month had approved the Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP)-III for the Hirakud reservoir, world’s longest earthen dam, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,066.38 crore. The World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide the funds for the project, which is to be executed over six years from 2025-26 to 2030-31.