Sambalpur: Hirakud Dam is Secured said Chief Engineer of Hirakud Basin
Sambalpur: A state-wide firestorm has started regarding the protection of the Hirakud embankment. However, such fears are completely insignificant and there is no such threat to the protection of the river bank, said Anand Chandra Sahu, Chief Engineer of the Mahanadi Basin.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mr. Sahu said that in 1995, the cracks and holes in Hirakud Dam were repaired. Since then, no major or visible cracks have been noticed since 1999, so there is no need for any survey. However, according to the law, a survey should be conducted once in every 5 years regarding the condition of Hirakud Dam. The Dam Energy Review Panel visited Hirakud Dam in 2020 and made some recommendations. Mapping the number of cracks in spillways, power dams etc. was one of them. Based on this recommendation, I wrote a letter to the chief of dam safety on May 27 requesting to send an expert team to survey the cracks.
Mr. Sahu said, the exchange of letters between him and the dam security chief regarding the Hirakud Gate is a normal process. There should be no concern about the safety of the dam. The letter he wrote requesting to send an expert team was answered on the 16th by the head of dam safety. It advised to make some preliminary preparations before sending the team. It calls for drone inspection of the downstream side of the dam, underwater videography of the upstream side, etc. It is said to pay attention to the Gate operations cracks in the gallery. It is also recommended to make a record of it.
There is a mention of surveying the condition of the new cracks after 1999 and the condition of the old cracks. One has been asked to provide details of all the cracks in the downstream side of the dam. Similarly, the mapping of foundation gallery cracks and the videography of the power dam section are mentioned. All these pre-preparations are recommended by the dam safety chief before the arrival of the expert team. However, based on this letter, there is no threat to the Hirakud dam. Engg. Sahu explained that Hirakud Dam is completely safe and there is no danger to it.
