Archive · 21 Jul 2026
Heavy Rain in Odisha Leads to Hirakud Dam Opening
It has been raining a lot in Odisha, India.
Because of all the rain, the Hirakud Dam had to open 10 of its gates to let out extra water.
The wettest place was Sonepur, which got 58 mm of rain.
The government has warned 12 districts downstream of the dam that there might be flooding.
The weather people say it will keep raining for another five days, with some places getting heavy rain and others getting thunderstorms.
People are worried about flooding, but the government is trying to keep everyone safe by giving warnings and opening the dam gates.
Heavy rainfall in Odisha led to the opening of 10 gates at Hirakud Dam.
Sonepur recorded the highest rainfall at 58 mm.
12 downstream districts were alerted about possible inundation.
The India Meteorological Department predicts heavy rain for another five days.
Thunderstorms are expected in several districts, including Balasore and Cuttack.
- Who
- Residents of Odisha, India Meteorological Department, Hirakud dam authority
- What
- Heavy rainfall leading to the opening of 10 gates at Hirakud Dam
- When
- July 21, with rains expected to continue for another five days
- Where
- Odisha, India
- Why
- Due to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi river
Government Response
Public Concerns
Preparedness and Alerts
Government Response
The government has taken proactive measures by opening dam gates and issuing alerts to downstream districts.
Public Concerns
Residents are concerned about the potential for flooding and the effectiveness of the alerts.
- Location
- Odisha, India
- Rainfall
- 58 mm in Sonepur, 45.7 mm in Keonjhar, 36.3 mm in Rourkela, 35.5 mm in Bolangir, 30.2 mm in Cuttack, 14.2 mm in Bhubaneswar
- Dam
- Hirakud Dam
- Gates Opened
- 10
- Alerted Districts
- 12 districts downstream of the reservoir
- Forecast Duration
- 5 days
- Expected Rainfall Areas
- Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj
- Thunderstorm Areas
- Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghapur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda