Hirakud under pressure: Kalma barrage releases 6 lakh cusecs, 76% rainfall at top level

Sambalpur: Chhattisgarh is waterlogged during non-monsoon. As a result, the rivers are drying up and the state is experiencing drought. Now during the monsoon, Chhattisgarh’s activities have dragged Odisha into danger. Due to continuous rains in Chhattisgarh, the flood situation is becoming critical. All the rivers there are now swollen. As the water level of the river continues to rise, the villages on its banks are being emptied. Chhattisgarh has started releasing water into the rivers due to the unsustainable conditions in the reservoirs there. About 6 lakh cusecs of water are being removed from the river every second. Due to this, the pressure on Hirakud reservoir is increasing. The threat is doubled as another depression looms ahead. Odisha will now suffer the consequences. The river will remain full for the next few weeks and the people in the flood plains will be in dire straits.

After analyzing the situation in Chhattisgarh, it appears that there was moderate rain in Rajnandgaon, Raipur and some other districts of Chhattisgarh on the 14th and 15th. A ‘High Alert’ was issued by the Meteorological Department for the 16th and 17th. This rain has left most of the areas waterlogged. Although the amount has reduced, the rain continues today. The weather department has given preliminary information that the rain may reduce towards tomorrow. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has directed the district administration to monitor the flood situation of the villages on the banks of the river in Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh districts and ensure safety measures as the water level continues to rise in the various rivers of the state.

The worst thing is that due to heavy rains, the water level of the irrigation projects and other reservoirs in Raipur, Durg and Bastar areas has been continuously increasing. Due to the withdrawal of water from these reservoirs, the water level of the river is increasing. 52,000 cusecs in Ravishan Reservoir (Gangrel), 5,000 cusecs from Sondur Reservoir, 13,400 cusecs from Sikaser Reservoir, totaling 70,400 cusecs of water are being withdrawn from the river. Similarly, 70,000 cusecs of water has been withdrawn from Mongara Barrage, Sukha Nala Barrage and Ghumaria Barrage in Shivnath River. A maximum of 7 lakh cusecs of water has been withdrawn from Kalma, the last barrage of Chhattisgarh on Odisha border, but now 6 lakh cusecs of water is being withdrawn from here.

Sambalpur: Due to heavy rains in the upper level, the inflow of water into the Hirakud reservoir has increased this time compared to other years. The situation is such that 76.22 percent of the average annual rainfall expected in the upper reaches of the Hirakud Reservoir has already been received. According to experts, it takes about six days for all the water to drain into the river as much as it rains in the upper reaches of the Hirakud Reservoir. So it will take some more time for it to enter the reservoir. About 90 percent of the catchment area of ​​Hirakud reservoir is in Chhattisgarh while the rest is in Odisha. Some rivers like Yayasdeo, Junk, Upper Junk, Sheonath join the river in different parts of Chhattisgarh. On the other hand, the water of Odisha’s Kelo, Bhedon and Ib rivers feeds the Hirakud Reservoir. The average annual rainfall is 1115 mm at the top of the Hirakud Reservoir, while this time an average of 849.85 mm has already been rained. That means its 76. 22 percent of the rain has already fallen.

In the year 1961, maximum 15.05 million cusecs of water came in the river, but now 6 cusecs of water has been removed from the Kalma Barrage, the last drainage channel of Chhattisgarh. Apart from this, the maximum inflow of 2.30 million cusecs of water in the rivers Kelo and Ib was recorded in Hirakud while 2 million cusecs of water has entered this time. Diamonds were more inundated due to higher than expected rainfall. In view of flood control, 8 gates were kept closed out of 34 gates that were opened. However, due to the continuous increase in water level, 14 more gates have been opened in 3 phases today keeping in view the safety of Hirakud Reservoir. A total of 6,69,224 cusecs of water has been withdrawn from the river through the sluice gate and power channel, and it is estimated to reach Badamula at 8:00 pm on Wednesday and Mundali at 8:00 am on Thursday.