Experts moot upkeep of Hirakud gates  

SAMBALPUR:  A team of Dam Safety Review Panel on Saturday suggested regular maintenance of Hirakud dam gates.The nine-member team of experts, led by Chief Engineer, Dam Safety, Prafulla Kumar Swain visited left spillway, right spillway, operation gallery and foundation gallery of the dam. Chief Engineer and Basin Manager, Upper Mahanadi Basin, Burla, Jyotirmaya Rath said it was a routine inspection.

Apart from conducting regular inspection, the team also examined the condition of the cracks in the dam, which had been repaired earlier. The team confirmed that the cracks are not aggravating.Sources said cracks had been found at the concrete portion of the dam’s spillway in the 1990s. The Hirakud Dam Cracks Review Panel and Dam Safety Review Panel had suggested treatment of the wide cracks and the same were repaired in 1999. Earlier, a team of the Central Soil and Material Research Station (CSMRS), New Delhi had scanned the dam to ascertain the condition of the cracks.

The team recorded the underwater visual of the upstream face of Hirakud Dam with the help of a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to ascertain the condition of the cracks in two phases in 2015-16. The CSMRS team had also said that the cracks, which had been repaired, were intact. The team had also confirmed that the dam was in safe condition.

There are 64 sluice gates, including 24 on the right side and 40 on the left side of the dam to release flood water. Besides, there are 34 crest gates, 13 on right side and 21 on the left side, taking the total number of gates at Hirakud Dam to 98.