Sambalpur: Following less rainfall in the upper catchments of Mahanadi River, the authorities of Hirakud Dam closed six sluice gates on Saturday morning.
At present, 18 gates are open to release the floodwater. The water level of the dam by 10 am was 628.17 ft against the full reservoir level of 630 feet.
Meanwhile, the floodwater in Mahanadi River has receded today as compared to yesterday, informed Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources Department.
The release of excess water may cause a medium flood in the Mahanadi region, comprising the districts of Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri.
It is expected that 8 lakh cusecs would flow through Mundali barrage near Cuttack during the peak flood period on Saturday night. It is also considered crucial, particularly for Kendrapada and Puri districts.
However, many villages in low-lying areas in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha and Puri districts are still inundated by water, Similarly, 10 villages in three panchayats Orabarasingh, Brajamohanpur, Narangarh under Khurda block are surrounded by floodwater released from Hirakud.
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