Sambalpur: With cracks appearing at various places in the Hirakud dam, the chief safety engineer has recommended a survey by an expert panel through drones. The chief engineer of the Mahanadi river basin has been asked to furnish details of steps taken for necessary review and preparation of a plan for a special inspection by a panel of experts. In a letter dated, August 16 to the chief engineer of Mahanadi River basin, his dam safety counterpart Sibasish Padhi underscored the need for proper monitoring to ascertain the status of cracks and to ensure timely repair.
Referring to the recommendation of the dam safety review panel (DSRP) which had visited Hirakud dam in 2020, Padhi in his letter said a drone-based inspection of the downstream must be taken up to locate cracks on the downstream glacis of the spillway. The DSRP panel had also recommended inspection of the cracks at operation gallery, foundation gallery, gate shaft and sluice barrels of both the left and right spillway of the dam, Padhi said. He added that an underwater videography of the face of the spillway is required as it cannot be inspected visually. The cracks found in the sluice gates require immediate attention, Padhi said. He added that the other cracks need to be inspected on a regular basis and they need to be repaired at the first opportunity. Usually the survey of the dam is done every five years. However, in case of the Hirakud Dam, no such inspection has been carried out in the last five years, sources said. An inspection is needed on an urgent basis for mapping of the cracks, sources said.