BHUBANESWAR/SAMBALPUR: The office of the Chief Engineer, Dam Safety has asked the Manager of Mahanadi basin, Burla to furnish the survey and action taken reports on Hirakud dam maintenance prior to undertaking a special inspection of the dam safety and mapping of new cracks on the dam.
Responding to the May 27, 2022 letter of Chief Engineer and Basin Manager, Mahanadi Basin, Burla, Chief Engineer, Dam Safety, Sibasish Padhi said the State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) has not received any reports on survey and monitoring activity taken up for a study of any further development to cracks along with leakage/seepage at the dam site after January 2020.
"Prior to plan for any special inspection as proposed, it is essential at this end to review the survey reports/observations/action taken reports for the gap period (from January 2020 onward)," Padhi said.
Requesting the Mahanadi Basin Manager to furnish necessary documents, Padi said it is necessary for review and to plan for a special inspection by a panel of experts.
A team of the Dam Safety Review Panel (DSRP) visited Hirakud dam in January 2020 and recommended further study of cracks at the operation gallery, foundation gallery, gate shaft and sluice barrels of both left and right spillway of Hirakud dam.
As per the suggestions, a drone-based inspection of the downstream face was to be taken up for finding any cracks on the downstream glacis of the spillway. It was scheduled to carry out an underwater videography work of the surface of concrete of the spillway as it could not be inspected visually.
As cracks noticed in the gate operation gallery needed special attention, the panel suggested regular monitoring of the development of new cracks and an increase in seepage quantity. The same has to be reported to SDSO from time to time.
As no fresh survey has been undertaken since 1999, the DSRP suggested conducting a survey once every five years and mapping the new cracks to be made along with the status of the old cracks.
The other recommendations of the panel included mapping of cracks on the downstream face and a comprehensive assessment of the cracks noticed on the various faces of the dam to be combined into a single document for a suitable remedial solution.
"In response to the recommendations of the DSRP team, no information report regarding surveys conducted at the dam site and monitoring activity is taken up for the study of any further development to cracks along with leakage/seepage thereto has been received by SDSO after January 2020," Padhi's letter said.