Hirakud Opens 10 More Gates as Reservoir Level Rises; Mahanadi Flood Situation Shows Signs of Improvement

With the water level in the Hirakud Reservoir continuing to rise due to heavy inflows from the upper catchment, authorities have opened 10 additional sluice gates, taking the total number of open gates to 12, to regulate the increasing water volume.

According to official data, the reservoir has been receiving over 3 lakh cusecs of inflow continuously for the past two days. As of 6:00 AM on Friday, the reservoir’s water level stood at 623.52 feet.

The reservoir was receiving an inflow of 3,69,322 cusecs, while only 65,543 cusecs were being released earlier. In view of the sustained inflow, the authorities decided to open 10 more gates. With 12 gates now operational, the total discharge has increased to over 2 lakh cusecs.

Meanwhile, there has been a slight improvement in the flood situation along the Mahanadi River. Water levels at Athagarh and Mundali in Cuttack district have started receding, providing some relief to residents in the flood-affected areas.

Officials said that while 8.80 lakh cusecs of floodwater was flowing through Mundali till late Thursday night, the discharge has now declined to around 8.73 lakh cusecs, indicating a gradual fall in the river’s water level.

Flood Situation Under Review

The Odisha government is closely monitoring the evolving flood situation. A high-level review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari.

District Collectors from the flood-affected districts joined the meeting through video conferencing and briefed the government on the ground situation. The meeting was also attended by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and the Water Resources Department.

The government reviewed the flood situation, reservoir management, relief operations, and preparedness measures to ensure timely response in the affected districts. Authorities continue to monitor river levels and reservoir inflows closely as rainfall in the upper catchment areas remains a key factor in the state’s flood management efforts.