Odisha’s Water Resources Department confirmed there is no flood threat in the state, even as inflow into Hirakud Dam continues to rise.
Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said the department is closely monitoring rainfall, reservoir levels, and river flows across the state.
The water level at Hirakud stood at 606.12 feet on Tuesday, nearly 3 to 4 feet lower than the same period last year. Current storage is around 26 per cent. Rout explained that inflow from upper catchment areas has reached 1.8 lakh cusecs and is expected to rise to 2.5 lakh cusecs by tomorrow due to rainfall in Chhattisgarh.
Officials are considering opening two to three gates of Hirakud Dam on July 9, depending on inflow and overall conditions. Rout said the final decision will be taken after a review meeting.
At Mundali barrage, water flow measured 3.26 lakh cusecs and is projected to reach 4.5 lakh cusecs by midnight. Since the flow is likely to remain below 5 lakh cusecs, the department ruled out any flood situation. At Akhuapada, the water level stood at 17.33 feet, below the warning mark.
The department assured that surveillance has been intensified along the Mahanadi river system. Officials emphasised that precautionary measures are in place to ensure community safety.
