Bokaro: The Tenughat dam division opened three additional radial gates on Monday as incessant rain increased inflow into the reservoir. Eight radial gates and one under-sluice gate are now open.An advisory issued by the division’s executive engineer said the additional openings would raise discharge into Damodar river to around 30,000 cusecs.At noon, the reservoir level stood at 850.85 feet and was rising. The maximum conservation level is 852 feet, leaving little room to accommodate increasing inflows, officials said. More gates may be opened if required.The dam division has alerted the Bokaro and Dhanbad district administrations, as well as authorities in West Bengal, and advised precautions in low-lying areas. Officials in Gomia, Petarwar, Chandrapura and Jaridih have also been asked to take necessary measures.“Residents living along the river and in low-lying areas should remain cautious and avoid venturing close to the river, particularly during periods of increased discharge,” district disaster management officer Shakti Kumar said.At 6 am on Monday, the reservoir level was 850.70 feet (259.29 metres). The catchment received 16.4 mm of rainfall during the preceding 24 hours.The reservoir then held 42,732 hectare metres of gross storage and 26,527 hectare metres of live storage. Around 13,550 cusecs (383.69 cubic metres per second) was being released through five radial gates and one under-sluice gate.
