Sambalpur: Eight more sluice gates of Hirakud Dam in Odisha’s Sambalpur district were opened on Saturday after an increase in inflow of water into the reservoir.
According to official sources, excess water is currently being discharged through 14 gates, including nine on the left spillway and five on the right spillway of the dam.
While six gates were opened earlier, a decision to open eight more gates was taken since upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi witnessed more enhanced rainfall and the inflow of water into the reservoir increased considerably.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded heavy to very heavy rainfall warning for Odisha and neighbouring regions, forecasting a spell of intense downpour in several districts across the state during the next two days.
It said heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, and Kendrapara on
Sunday 25. An orange warning has been issued for these districts, indicating that residents should be prepared for heavy rainfall.
On August 26, orange warning has been extended to the Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts with the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rain.