Bhubaneswar, December 4: The opposition BJD on Thursday voiced serious concerns over the growing siltation issue at the Hirakud dam, highlighting its potential risks to the dam’s structural integrity.

Prasanna Acharya, BJD's deputy leader of opposition, on Thursday brought this issue during the Zero Hour in the state assembly. He raised the alarms over a recent survey revealing a 27% reduction in the dam’s water storage capacity due to accumulated silt.

Acharya stressed that the siltation not only poses a threat to the dam's safety but could also disrupt power generation, irrigation, and flood management operations in the region.