The 67-year-old Hirakud Dam, the world’s longest earthen dam, needs extensive upgrading to attend to structural issues and boost capability, according to a senior authorities.
Sudhir Kumar Sahu, Additional Chief Engineer, Hirakud Dam Circle, stated while the dam’s general strength stays great, shallow fractures and cavities have actually been determined upstream of the tank.
“We are maintaining the dam properly and the Central Soil and Material Research Station and Central Water and Power Research Station have given good reports. Its strength is very good, but there are some superficial cracks and cavities upstream of the reservoir,” Sahu informed PTI.
The Hirakud Dam task is constructed throughout the river Mahanadi at about 12 km upstream of Sambalpur town in Odisha. Found 6 km from NH6, the dam is available by means of Hirakud Railway Station as the closest rail connection and Jharsuguda as the closest airport
The 25.4-km long dam, which produces Asia’s biggest synthetic lake covering 743 sq km, was finished in 1957 as India’s very first multipurpose task after Independence.
Building and construction started in 1948 after the structure stone was laid in 1946 already Governor Sir Hawthorne Lewis. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the very first batch of concrete in 1948, and the task was inaugurated on January 13, 1957.
Presently, the dam serves several functions, consisting of flood control, watering, power generation, commercial and domestic supply of water.
Sahu stated the determined structural concerns are being attended to through routine treatment. “We have one package for underwater treatment under DRIP 3 and one additional spillway will be constructed,” he stated.
The Central Water Commission has actually advised constructing an extra spillway to manage increased water release capability. While the present spillway can handle 15 lakh cusec, the brand-new center will assist manage Probable Maximum Flood of 24.6 lakh cusec.
“CWC has told us to build another spillway, additional spillway. It is under process and MoU will be signed with the CWC,” the authorities stated.
Concerning financing, Sahu described that regular upkeep expenses are borne by the state federal government while significant plans like spillway building and construction, undersea treatment and lining are moneyed by the Centre.
3 significant plans are presently underway – undersea treatment under DRIP 3, building and construction of an extra spillway, and automation of gates.
In spite of great monsoon this year with increased water circulation in rivers, there has actually been no flooding in downstream locations.
“We opened 20 gates in the first phase and later closed them. This season we opened 12 gates. Now two gates are open and there is no flood in the downstream area,” Sahu stated.
The main stressed the requirement for main federal government assistance for the aging facilities.
“Hirakud dam is more than 65 years old. So, overhauling is necessary and the central government is cooperating in many ways with the state government,” he included.
(With PTI Inputs)