Another 6 gates of Hirakud Dam opened today

Sambalpur: The authorities of Hirakud Dam in Odisha opened six more sluice gates of the reservoir on Friday to discharge floodwaters amid incessant rain in the upper catchment area of the Mahanadi.

Sources said more than 3,00,000 cusec of floodwater is currently being discharged from 20 (Left-13 + Right-7) of the 64 sluice gates of the reservoir, whose water level stood at 628.12 ft against the optimum level of 630 ft earlier this morning.

The dam authorities have also alerted people in the low-lying areas not to venture into the river bed.