Even as hydro condition in major reservoirs is above the last year’s level during this time of the year, the water level, maintained in Hirakud dam, has baffled many.
The Water Resources Department has kept the water level in Hirakud dam at 611.97 ft on Sunday __ the same level this day last year __ against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 630 ft.
While official sources said water level in the dam is maintained as per the curve rule, informed sources said the managers of the reservoirs are committing the same mistake they did last year.
Anticipating more rainfall in the upper catchments of the Mahanadi, managers of the reservoirs opened 19 gates and released excess water to keep space in the reservoir to accommodate fresh water released from Chhattisgarh.
The condition is almost similar to last year’s when the monsoon played truant towards the last part and as a result the State had to suffer so far as irrigation and hydro power generation were concerned.
“There is no guarantee that the monsoon, which is so far active across the State, will behave normally during the next couple of weeks,” said the sources.
The State Government received a lot of flak from different quarters for its faulty water management in the Hirakud dam last year.
Though the Government then explained that water management of the reservoir was done as per the curve rule, experts called for a debate on the curve rule saying it had become obsolete.
Much to the relief of the power-starved State, water level in other reservoirs is comparatively better than same time last year.
Water level in Indravati is at 636.30 mt which is above 10 mt of the last year’s level. The full reservoir level of Indravati is 642 mt.
The hydro position in Upper Kolab is 850.90 mt as against 845.74 mt during the corresponding period last year, considered to be the worst year so far as generation of hydro power is considered.
Similarly, water level in Balimela reservoir is at 1,463.20 ft as against 1,447 ft this day last year. The water level in the reservoir on the Rengali river was below the minimum draw down level (MDDL) for most part of the year. Now the water level in the reservoir is at 117.15 mt as against 116.17 mt last year.