17 Gates of Hirakud Dam Opened as More Water Flows from Kalma Barrage in Chhattisgarh

Sambalpur: To release excess floodwater entering the reservoir, the Hirakud dam authorities on Saturday opened five more sluice gates. Now floodwater is now being released through 17 gates of the Hirakud Dam.

The water level in the reservoir of the Hirakud dam is rising rapidly as Chhattisgarh opened all 66 gates of the Kalma Barrage.

On Saturday morning, 12 sluice gates of the Hirakud dam were open. On Friday, 10 gates of Hirakud were opened in two phases.

It is feared that with more water of Mahanadi entering the Hirakud reservoir through the Kalma barrage in Chhattisgarh, more sluice gates of the dam may have to be opened up. It will lead to floods in the lower regions of the Mahanadi basin in Odisha.

Floods have, so far, affected about 5 lakh people in Odisha.

The districts along the coast of the Mahanadi River an dits tributaries have been placed on high alert. The local administrations are ensuring safety of the people living on river banks.