Sambalpur, March 9: Construction of an additional spillway at Odisha's Hirakud Dam is set to begin soon, aimed at boosting the floodwater discharge capacity of the reservoir, informed an official on Sunday.
A nine-member team of experts from the World Bank and the Central Water Commission (CWC) visited the proposed construction site at the left dyke of the Hirakud Dam and the nearby rehabilitation colony on Saturday. The team also inspected the right dyke, power channel, and gates, while reviewing documents related to the additional spillway project, the official said.
The tender for the additional spillway work would be issued once the government grants administrative approval, he said.
The project is expected to cost approximately Rs 884 crore. The proposed additional spillway will span 91 meters and include five sluice gates. The new spillway channel will begin near Gandhi Minar on the left dyke and connect to the Mahanadi River near Jawahar Udyan.
The CWC recommended the additional spillway to enhance the dam’s floodwater discharge capacity, considering factors such as meteorological changes, climate change, and the risk of maximum flooding.
Currently, the Hirakud Dam has 98 gates, comprising 64 sluice gates and 34 crest gates, used to release floodwaters. With the new spillway, the dam’s capacity to handle floodwater will increase from 15 lakh cusecs to 25 lakh cusecs during heavy rainfall and flash floods.
