Hirakud Dam probe denied by the Government

HIRAKUD DAM



No Plan from Govrnernment of Orissa and rejecting the Government panel to probe for mishandling 13/10/2011


Hirakud Dam Project is built across river Mahanadi at about 15 Kms. upstream of Sambalpur town in State of Orissa. This happens to be the first post independence major multipurpose river valley project in India. The dam is 6 Kms from NH 6 . The nearest rail head is Hirakud railway station (S.E.R) which is 8 Kms from the dam site.

The project provides 1,55,635 Hects of Kharif and 1,08,385 Hects of Rabi irrigation of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Subarnpur. The water released through power house irrigates further 436000 Hects of CCA in Mahanadi delta. Installed capacity for power generation in 307.5 MW through its two power houses at Burla , at the right bank to and Chiplima , at 22 Kms downstream of dam . Besides the project provides flood protection to 9500 sq Kms of delta area in district of Cuttack and Puri.

After high floods of 1937, Sir M. Visveswararya gave proposal for detailed investigation for storage reservoirs in Mahanadi basin to tackle problem of floods in Mahanadi delta, In 1945, it was decided under the chairmanship of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the then Member of Labour in Govt. of India that the potentialities of river Mahanadi should be fruitfully and expenditiously investigated for multipurpose use. Central Water- ways Irrigation and Navigation Commission took up the work. The foundation stone of Hirakud Dam was laid by Sir Howthrone Lewis, the then Governor of Orissa on 15th March 1946. The project report was submitted to Government in June 1947. The first batch of concrete was laid by Pandit Jawaharalal Neheru on 12th April 1948. The project was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on 13th, January 1957. Power generation along with supply for irrigation started progressively from 1956 and full potential was achieved by 1966.

Allegations of mismanagement in storing and release of water from the Hirakud dam, which resulted in the high floods last month, have landed the State Government in a sticky situation with Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare seeking a report on it.

What has come as a major embarrassment for the Government is the Governor’s advice to set up a committee to probe whether the rule curve for Hirakud reservoir was violated. The Governor had sought a clarification following media reports and the Opposition charge that the devastating flood was man-made.
The Government has, however, rejected the allegations on water mismanagement at the dam. It has informed the Governor that there is no need to set up a new committee to enquire whether the guideline for discharge of water from the reservoir was maintained.

Instead, the Government has said the existing technical team would look into the implementation of rule curve for the reservoir. Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik told mediapersons that the Government on Wednesday submitted its reply to Raj Bhavan in response to Bhandare’s query. He said the technical team, headed by the engineer-in-chief (EIC) of Water Resources department, would investigate the alleged violation of rule curve.

The technical committee was set up in 2009 and there is no need for a new panel, official sources said.
Bhandare had reportedly suggested setting up of a technical committee comprising members from Central Water Commission (CMC), advocates, a woman and some technical persons.

The existing committee could consult technical persons from outside the State if required, the Government said in its report to the Governor. The existing committee already has members with expertise in water management in Mahanadi river system, the Government said, adding that it has also been asked to suggest steps to control flood in Mahanadi river system in a more effective manner.

Claiming that rule curve was not violated, the report said water level at Hirakud reservoir was 78 per cent of the reservoir level on September 5 as against the prescribed guidelines of maintaining it within 65 per cent to 91 per cent.
The State Government virtually rejected the Governor's suggestion for an investigation by an expert panel under the chairmanship of a former chief of the Central Water Commission into the alleged mismanagement of flood waters at the Hirakud reservoir that, according to the Opposition, had triggered devastating floods in the down stream of the Mahanadi system in September.

The Governor's advisory to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik came in the wake of allegations by some experts and opposition parties that the disaster, which killed over 80 persons and affected over five million people in the recent floods, could have been avoided.

However, the Water Resources Department being looked after by the Chief Minister had four days back sent a report to Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare that there was no necessity of formation of a fresh technical committee for probe on management of flood waters at the Hirakud reservoir as the existing committee, formed under the chairmanship of the Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department with the approval of the Governor in 2009, still holds good.

Talking to mediapersons, Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik refuted the allegation that there was violation of "curve rule" in the management of flood waters in the Hirakud Dam.

He said the report to the Governor was comprehensive with details of rainfall, inflow and outflow of water at the Hirakud reservoir and related water management.

Patnaik said more numbers of gates were opened in the Hirakud Dam following inflow from the upper catchment in Chhatisgarh that resulted in the floods in the downstream of the Mahanadi system.

He clarified that during the period in question _ from September 1 to 5 _ the water level was between 65 to 91 per cent of the reservoir capacity. During the period the water stored in the reservoir was 78 per cent of the capacity which was under the approved limit of the "curve rule", he said.
The present committee had also endorsed the management of water at Hirakud during the period, Patnaik said.

He said the existing committee was asked to investigate the alleged mismanagement at the Hirakud Dam. If required the panel can take more expert members from the CWC and other related fields, he said.

The committee has also been instructed to recommend to the Government on better management of the Hirakud waters on a long-term basis in future.

SIDDHARTH SHANKAR MISHRA,
BEARUE CHIEF,
THESE DAYS, TASVER E HIND,
ORISSA , SAMBALPUR