SAMBALPUR: The two-day mock drill to evaluate the condition of the gates of Hirakud dam and other equipment for flood management ahead of the monsoon concluded here on Thursday.
The chief engineer of the upper Mahanadi basin Ananda Chandra Sahu said the mock drill is conducted ahead of the release of floodwater every year to assess the preparedness and check whether the dam gates and equipment like diesel generator sets, sirens and pumps are operating properly or not.
“On Wednesday, the mock drill was conducted at the left spillway of the dam. Similarly, a comprehensive test of the right spillway was successfully carried out on Thursday,” Sahu informed.
Usually, the floodwater is released from the Hirakud dam to the Mahanadi River between June 1 and October 31 every year. Last year, the first floodwater was released on July 18. Official sources said the water level of Hirakud Dam stood at 602.77 ft against the full reservoir level of 630 ft at 8 am on Thursday.
The inflow of water into the reservoir was 913 cusec and the outflow from the dam was 10,453 cusec. There are 98 gates to release floodwater from Hirakud dam including 64 sluice and 34 crest gates. Each sluice gate has the capacity to discharge 16,440 cusecs of water when the reservoir level is 630 feet, also termed as the danger level.
Similarly, each crest gate has the potential to discharge 16,238 cusecs of water at 630 feet. During the mock drill, the operation of 20 per cent dam gates was evaluated. On Tuesday, the dam authorities informed the administration of districts situated downstream of Hirakud to remain prepared for the release of water to Mahanadi.
They also appealed to people to remain alert while carrying out activities on the Mahanadi river bed. The control room of the Hirakud dam has already been made operational, said an official of the Hirakud dam project. The drill was conducted in the presence of senior officials of the Hirakud dam project, the dam safety department and the mechanical wing of the Water Resources department.