Amid accusation of reduction of flow of Mahanadi water, Chattisgarh government has finally opened only one gate of the Kalma barrage to discharge water to Hirakud reservoir in Odisha to meet the scarcity.
All protest of the Odisha government not to stop flow of Mahanadi water during non-monsoon season and release the required quantity of water had no impact on the Chhatisgarh government which is constructing dams and barrages on the up stream of Mahanadi river notwithstanding the vehement protest from Odisha.
Hirakud Dam sources said only 2000 cusecs water is entering the reservoir from Kalma barrage although the requirement is much high.
Since the government is giving priority to irrigation and drinking water supply, the hydro power generation using the Hirakud water had almost stopped except in the peak hours in the evening, power generation is allowed only for few hours to meet the requirement .
Since the kharif crop will begin soon after crop cutting is over, the Dam authority is now ready to meet the water supply in the canals to the Hirakud command area and also Sambalpur distributory as per the requirement at the cost of the power generation,” a senior official of Hirakud Dam said.
