Flood Control / Odisha Reservoirs Release Water amid Rising Levels

Bhubaneswar, Aug 18: Continuous rainfall in the upper catchment areas has led to rising water levels in major reservoirs across Odisha, prompting authorities to open multiple gates for controlled water release.

At Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur, three additional gates were opened Tuesday, taking the total to 10. Earlier, seven gates had been opened to manage the inflow.

The current water level stands at 619.87 feet, with an inflow of 2,01,710 cusecs per second from upstream. Simultaneously, 2 lakh cusecs of water are being discharged through the ten gates to regulate the reservoir level.

Also read: 1.48 Lakh Affected As Floods Inundate 137 Villages In Odisha's Kendrapada District

In Kendujhar district, the under-construction Kanupur irrigation project at Basudevpur block is witnessing a steady rise in water level due to incessant rainfall. To manage the situation, eight gates have been opened, including six spillway gates and two sluice gates.

Out of the total 14 gates, these eight are currently releasing water. The reservoir’s water level has reached 428.71 meters against its maximum capacity of 440 meters. While inflow is recorded at 310.74 cumecs per second, outflow through spillways, sluice gates, and canals stands at 259.12 cumecs.

In the last eight hours, the catchment area has received 27 mm of rainfall. Officials are closely monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, at Deo Dam, rising water levels triggered the opening of Gate No. 3 at 11 AM Tuesday to release 417.62 cubic meters of water. The dam’s water level currently stands at 410.50 meters, slightly below the expected 412 meters.

This marks the second water release from the dam this year. Senior engineers, including Chief Engineer Umakant Nayak, Executive Engineer Suraj Kumar Patra, and Canal Division Engineer Bhagaban Nayak, were present to oversee the operation. Authorities have alerted downstream residents through public announcements, warning of possible further gate openings if rainfall continues.