Hirakud Dam opens six more gates to manage rising water levels

Bhubaneswar, Aug 25: Six additional sluice gates of Hirakud Dam in Odisha's Sambalpur were opened on Saturday to manage the rising water levels caused by heavy rainfall upstream.

This brings the total to 20 gates currently discharging around 3 lakh cusecs of floodwater—nine on the left spillway and five on the right. The reservoir's water level reached 621.97 feet, nearing its full capacity of 630 feet, with an inflow of 3.59 lakh cusecs recorded earlier in the day.

Authorities had initially opened nine gates on the left spillway and five on the right to release excess water. Officials stated that more sluice gates might be opened if rainfall in the upper Mahanadi catchment area increases, potentially raising the water level further. "With a low-pressure system in place, there's a chance of more rain upstream. If necessary, additional gates will be opened," a senior official said.