and transmitted through existing communication network to the central flood station at Maithon. The Indian Meteorological Department, Kolkata, transmits the rainfall forecast for the next 24 hours for the entire Damodar Valley region to Maithon. A computer model at the Flood Forecasting Unit at Maithon estimates the inflow into the reservoirs based on the real time data and rainfall forecast. According to detailed guidelines contained in the "Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Manual", Member Secretary of DVRRC (Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee) after discussion with SE, Damodar Irrigation Circle Govt. of West Bengal, Reservoir Operation of DVC & SE, Tenughat of Govt. of Jharkhand decides day to day release of water from Maithon Dam and Panchet Dam, and issues advice for release of water through the dams. Problems People involved in power generation say that water should be filled up as much as possible as it would be better for power generation. People involved in flood control department says water storage should be lowered, so that in case of excessive rain a flood like situation arises then it will be a flood cushion. This is a conflicting nature, so water has to be kept at an optimum level to satisfy both parties Dead storage capacity of the dam during the initial years was much more than the storage capacity now. The portion of a water storage's capacity that is equal to the volume of water below the level of the lowest outlet (the minimum supply level), is known as th Dead Storage Capacity. This, increase has been mainly due to the sedimentation storage. Due to human & industrial activities, the storage capacity has decreased over the years. As per the design of dam, capacity depth should have been . But due to non-acquisition of land the depth is at . The carrying capacity of the dam was . But at the time of construction it was only and at present it has a carrying capacity of less than . The cost of removing deposited silt in the dam is equal to the construction of a new dam, therefore economically not viable. If the silt is removed and stored in the banks of the dam, then during monsoon, the silt would get washed off into the dam. Maithon Dam has completed 60 years in service, and this naturally has an effect on the structures, in spite of regular maintenance by DVC. Flood