Experts raise doubts over benefit of new spillway at Hirakud Dam

Allocation of Rs 887 crore in the annual State budget for construction of an additional spillway in Hirakud dam has raised many eyebrows.

SAMBALPUR: Allocation of Rs 887 crore in the annual State budget for construction of an additional spillway in Hirakud dam has raised many eyebrows. This comes at a time when the State government is protesting the drastic reduction in inflow into Hirakud Dam Reservoir (HDR)  after Chhattisgarh Government constructed a series of barrages to harvest water.

The additional spillway at Hirakud dam was proposed after the Central Water Commission (CWC) recommended to enhance the flood water discharge capacity of all the major dams by 1.5 times of the current capacity.

The World Bank has even agreed to provide Rs 350 crore for the construction of the proposed spillway under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).

Currently, there are 98 gates, including 64 sluice gates and 34 crest gates, to discharge flood water from the dam. The existing capacity to discharge the flood water from 98 gates is 15 lakh cusecs. However, it has been proposed to increase the flood water discharge capacity of the dam to 24 lakh cusecs which is why, the spillway has been proposed.

While the team of Geological Survey of India (GSI) identified the location of spillway on the left dyke of the Hirakud dam, environmentalists doubt the additional spillway will be of any help.

According to reports, the additional spillway is being constructed for release of flood waters from HDR. Water activist Ranjan Panda said that had the State Government planned long canals to divert water to irrigation fields or reservoirs built at a distance, it could have sold flood water to industries.

Raising doubts over the government intention behind the spillway, Panda alleged that the State Government  is actually planning to help carry water to industries.

He said if the Government is serious about flood control, it should  invest in catchment protection, checking floodwaters and most importantly, increasing forest cover. “When the State Government is unable to recover thousands of crores of water taxes and fines from defaulting industries, why should they go for World Bank loans to build such infrastructures whose impacts are doubtful,” he questioned.