Sambalpur, July 7 (UDN): The long-awaited construction of an additional spillway at Odisha’s Hirakud Dam, a project considered vital for strengthening flood management and ensuring the reservoir’s long-term safety, remains stalled despite being proposed nearly three decades ago and formally launched in 2019.
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The additional spillway was envisaged to enhance the dam’s flood discharge capacity, enabling it to safely handle rising inflows during extreme monsoon events. While the existing spillway system can discharge around 1.5 million cusecs of water, the proposed infrastructure is expected to significantly augment that capacity, providing an additional safeguard during periods of intense flooding.
The need for expanding the dam’s discharge capacity was first recognised after the devastating floods of 1961, when inflows into the Hirakud reservoir reportedly touched nearly 1.6 million cusecs. Following another major flood in 1982, the Odisha Water Resources Department, in consultation with the Central Water Commission (CWC), revisited the reservoir’s flood management strategy.
In 1997, the CWC and the State Water Resources Department jointly proposed the construction of two additional spillways on either side of the dam to increase the overall flood discharge capacity to about 2.43 million cusecs. As part of the first phase, an additional spillway with a discharge capacity of 3 lakh cusecs was planned.
After years of surveys and technical studies, construction finally commenced in 2019 through a joint venture involving Tata Projects and a Turkish engineering firm. However, the project soon ran into obstacles, including disputes over land acquisition, compensation, and rehabilitation of affected families. The work gradually slowed before coming to a complete halt in 2020.
Nearly six years later, the project site remains deserted, with construction activities yet to resume. The prolonged delay has once again become a matter of concern as Odisha prepares for another monsoon, when the Hirakud Dam plays a critical role in regulating floodwaters in the Mahanadi basin.
Former Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department, Rabindra Panda, said the project should have been completed within the stipulated timeframe, as it is essential for strengthening the safety of the dam.
“The additional spillway with a discharge capacity of 3 lakh cusecs will significantly improve the dam’s flood-handling capability. The government should accord top priority to completing the project without further delay,” Panda said.
Echoing similar views, former Engineer-in-Chief Bibhuti Bhushan Dash said several preparatory steps have already been completed. According to him, the project is being executed under the supervision of the Central Water Commission, and the Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed.
“Only a few legal and procedural formalities remain. Rehabilitation work is in progress, and construction is expected to resume once those issues are resolved,” Dash said.
The Hirakud Dam currently regulates floodwaters through 98 gates, comprising 64 sluice gates and 34 crest gates. Water resources experts maintain that the additional spillway has become increasingly important in view of changing rainfall patterns and the growing frequency of extreme weather events, warning that further delays could affect the reservoir’s ability to manage exceptionally high flood inflows in the future.