With flood inflow into the Hirakud reservoir rising steadily, authorities on Friday opened 12 additional sluice gates in two phases, taking the total to 14 gates now discharging water into the Mahanadi river.
According to the reservoir control room, rainfall of 6.26 mm in the upper catchment and 3.23 mm in the lower catchment was recorded over the past 24 hours. As of 12:30 p.m., the reservoir’s water level had climbed to 624.60 ft.
Officials reported an average inflow of 3,94,731 cusecs per second, while the outflow stood at 2,51,069 cusecs. Of this, 2,32,860 cusecs are being discharged through the 14 sluice gates — nine on the left and five on the right. Additional releases include 24,960 cusecs via the power channel, 2,990 cusecs through the Bargarh canal, 500 cusecs through the Sasan canal, 88 cusecs through the Sambalpur canal, and 247 cusecs for industrial use.
The controlled release is aimed at managing rising water levels and ensuring downstream safety as inflows continue to surge.
