India News | Will Release Excess Water for 4-5 Days More: BBMB Amid Flooding in Many Areas of Punjab
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. With many areas inundated in Punjab following the release of excess water from dams, the Bhakra Beas Management Board on Wednesday said it will release excess water in a controlled manner for the next four to five days more to take the water in reservoirs to a safe level.
Chandigarh, Aug 16 (PTI) With many areas inundated in Punjab following the release of excess water from dams, the Bhakra Beas Management Board on Wednesday said it will release excess water in a controlled manner for the next four to five days more to take the water in reservoirs to a safe level.
Many villages and other areas in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Gurdaspur districts were inundated following the release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong dams, officials said.
The Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej river and the Pong Dam on the Beas river -- both in Himachal Pradesh -- are brimming after heavy rains in their respective catchment areas. Both dams are managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
BBMB secretary Satish Singla told mediapersons here that excess water was released from the dams after heavy inflow of water in the Bhakra and Pong reservoirs.
He added that water levels in Bhakra and Pong dams stand at 1,677 feet and 1,398 feet respectively on Wednesday.
The BBMP secretary said that Bhakra Dam received inflow of 1.93 lakh cusecs while the Pong Dam received over seven lakh cusecs because of rains in its catchment areas in the past few days, adding the water level in the Bhakra Dam and the Pong Dam was 1,674 feet and 1,392 feet respectively at that time.
The release of water from the Pong Dam was raised from 50,000 cusecs to 1.25 lakh cusecs and it was increased from 48,000 cusecs to 60,000 cusecs from the Bhakra Dam in a controlled way following the heavy inflow of water in the reservoirs.
“We have a plan that with the controlled release (of water) in the next four-five days, we will take it (water) to a safe level so that if any situation of flood arises again in August or September, we should have space (for absorbing the excess water in dams) to protect the downstream areas,” Singla said.
He added that there was a forecast of a dry spell in the next four-five days.
Singla said that the BBMB had informed the Punjab government at least 24 hours before the opening of the floodgates.
The official said that the BBMB authorities released 1.40 lakh cusecs despite receiving unprecedented inflow of 7.30 lakh cusecs in the Pong Dam.
“Today also, we are releasing 1.40 lakh cusecs of water as we want to attain safe level (in the dam) as soon as possible,” he said, adding that 80,000 cusecs of water was presently being discharged from the Bhakra Dam.
Stressing that dams' safety had also to be seen, Singla further said any decision regarding the release of water is taken in consultation with the Punjab government.
(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)