Sambalpur: There is no water in the Mahanadi as Chhattisgarh has not released any upstream. The water level in reservoirs is continuously declining, and daily electricity generation has dropped to 39 megawatts. There is now uncertainty about whether water supply for the upcoming Rabi crops will be possible. Despite the worsening situation, no significant action has been taken. The government, which had declared that it would never compromise Odisha’s interests, remains silent. With Mahanadi’s condition already critical in spring, the situation in the upcoming summer months of Baisakh and Jyestha is unimaginable.
On this day last year, the water level at the Hirakud Dam stood at 620.58 feet, but this year, it has dropped by nearly one foot, reaching 619.67 feet.