Bhubaneswar, July 7 -- The Hirakud dam in Sambalpur is set to release season's first flood water on July 9 as the water level of reservoir continues to rise due to heavy rainfall and increased inflow from the upper catchment areas.

According to official data, the reservoir's water level stood at 606.12 feet as of 9 am on Tuesday. The dam is currently receiving an average inflow of 1,79,812 cusecs of water per second from the upper catchment, while an average of 19,898 cusecs is being discharged downstream.

Authorities have scheduled the opening of the Hirakud Dam gates at 11 am on July 9 to release the first floodwater of the season.

Ahead of the gate opening, the district administration and dam authorities have launched an extensive p...