Chandigarh, Aug 14 (PTI) The Punjab government on Monday warned residents of five districts against going near the Beas riverbanks as surplus water from the Pong dam is going to be released.

The move follows heavy incessant rains in the catchment areas of the river. The advisory has been issued for the people of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran districts.

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The water will be released in a controlled manner to the tune of around 68,000 cusecs initially, an official statement said.

Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma held a meeting with all deputy commissioners through video-conferencing and asked them to be prepared to deal with any situation and set up relief camps if necessary, according to the statement.

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The current level of water in the Pong dam built on the Beas river in Himachal's Kangra district is 1,395.91 feet and it can easily hold up to 1,400 feet, it said.

Verma said constant vigil should be maintained in sensitive areas and asked the officers to immediately contact the water resources department and his office in case of any need.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)