Concerns over Hirakud Dam safety raised in Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar, Dec 4 (UNI) Serious concerns over the safety of the Hirakud Dam were raised in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday, with Opposition BJD member Prasanna Acharya warning that severe siltation has significantly reduced the reservoir’s water-holding capacity.

Speaking during Zero Hour, Acharya said that according to last year’s assessment, the reservoir’s capacity had declined by 27 per cent due to massive silt accumulation.

He cautioned that the continued absence of desiltation efforts poses a major threat not only to Odisha but to the country as a whole.
Highlighting a shortage of technical staff responsible for dam maintenance, the BJD Deputy leader urged the state government to immediately undertake desiltation measures and ensure adequate staffing to prevent a potential disaster.

Acharya further pointed out that previous attempts to desilt the reservoir had failed because the company assigned to the task was unable to deliver results.

He criticised the government’s decision to allot land near the reservoir to large companies for hotel construction as part of tourism development, arguing that dam safety must take precedence over tourism interests.

Responding to the concerns, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed the House that the Centre had already enacted the Dam Safety Act, 2021, covering 20 major dams across India, including Hirakud.

The Minister said he had discussed the situation with the Jal Shakti Minister.

Pujari added that although a Japanese firm had earlier been engaged for silt removal, the work saw little progress due to the presence of tree trunks within the reservoir.

The state government, he said, has apprised the Centre of these challenges, and necessary steps are being taken to ensure the dam’s protection.