Sambalpur, Oct 21: The eight gauge stations in the upper catchment of Odisha’s Hirakud Dam will undergo renovation as they are failing to provide actual data due to geographical changes.
“Eight gauge stations in the upper catchment of Hirakud Dam are going to be renovated. The gauge station at Saradih and few others in the upper catchment of the reservoir in Chhattisgarh has lost their significance after construction of barrages, following which the dam administration has planned to change their locations,” said Chief engineer of Upper Mahanadi Basin Sushil Kumar Behera.
It was proposed three years ago and finally the process for renovation of the eight gauge stations is underway. The budget preparation is underway and tender will be floated soon, he added.
Gauge stations are meant for systematic observations of water levels, discharged water flow, water management and other data related to a reservoir. The Central Water Commission, Chhattisgarh and Odisha governments have set up their own gauge stations at different locations in the Mahanadi basin.
The Hirakud Dam administration has set up six gauge stations at Ghorari, Nandgaon, Shivrinarayan, Tarapur, Champa, Saradih in Chhattisgarh and two in Odisha – at Deogaon in Ib river and Kherual in Veden river.
The Hirakud dam, situated in Sambalpur district of Odisha, is the longest earthen dam in the country. It was built in 1957 at the confluence of the Mahanadi and Ib rivers.
