Odisha Floods Worsen as Hirakud Dam Opens 14 Gates, Over 7 Lakh People Affected

The flood situation in Odisha remained critical on Friday as the Hirakud Dam opened 14 sluice gates to release massive volumes of water into the Mahanadi River, causing it and several tributaries to swell and inundate low-lying areas across the state. More than seven lakh people have been affected across 20 of Odisha's 30 districts, prompting large-scale evacuation and rescue operations.

Authorities said the increased discharge was necessitated by heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh, which led to a sharp rise in inflow into the reservoir. The number of open gates was increased from just two to 14, with officials expecting the released water to reach Mundali near Cuttack within 36 to 40 hours.

By Friday morning, the reservoir's water level stood at 623.52 feet, close to its full storage capacity of 630 feet. Officials said inflows remained high, requiring additional discharge to safely manage the reservoir before more water arrived.

Although no rainfall has been recorded across Odisha or the upper catchment during the past 24 hours, authorities cautioned that floodwaters are still moving downstream. The temporary break in rainfall has provided some relief, but districts including Cuttack, Puri, Khurda and Jagatsinghpur continue to witness inundation.

The state government has activated an extensive disaster response. Around 1.90 lakh people have been evacuated to safer locations, while 520 relief centres have been set up with the capacity to shelter nearly two lakh people. A total of 136 teams from the NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Services have been deployed for rescue and relief work.

The swelling Mahanadi has also raised water levels in several tributaries, including the Luna, Chitrotpala, Devi, Kuakhai, Daya and Kushabhadra, worsening flooding in many regions. Officials confirmed three flood-related deaths, cancelled leave for government employees in the affected districts, and restricted public access to barrages and embankments. As a precaution, devotees have also been barred from visiting the Dhabaleswar Shiv Temple in Cuttack for 48 hours.