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Last year, the water level in the Bhakra reservoir was 1,639.66 feet, 37 feet lower than the current level.
Bhakra Dam level rises 3 ft in 24 hours. (Image: X)
The water level at Bhakra Dam in Himachal Pradesh increased by nearly three feet within 24 hours, leading authorities to issue alerts in downstream districts along the Sutlej river, including Ropar, Nawanshahr, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar.
Currently, all three rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — are swollen, along with other seasonal rivulets, causing floods in large parts of Punjab due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
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On Tuesday, the water level in Bhakra Dam’s reservoir, Gobind Sagar Lake, was recorded at 1,676.72 feet, a rise of 2.71 feet in the past 24 hours, just 3.28 feet short of the danger mark of 1,680 feet. On Monday, the level had reached 1,674 feet, six feet below the danger mark.
“Although the dam can hold water up to 10 feet beyond the danger level of 1,680 feet, this could threaten its safety,” said an official from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), speaking anonymously.
On Tuesday, the Jalandhar administration issued an alert, advising residents along the Sutlej in Phillaur, Lohian, and Shahkot areas to move to safer locations.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, MLA from Anandpur Sahib, reported that heavy water flow caused 12 breaches in the Anandpur Sahib and Rupnagar belt.
“Residents have been asked to remain alert for the next 24 hours as heavy rainfall is forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday,” Bains added.
Last year, the water level in the Bhakra reservoir was 1,639.66 feet, 37 feet lower than the current level.
“This difference is concerning, and there are still 18 days left until the filling season ends on September 20,” added the BBMB official.
The Bhakra dam reservoir receives 70% of its water from snowmelt in the upper reaches of the Himalayas and 30% from rain.
Currently, inflows into Bhakra are at 1.07 lakh cusecs, while 56,000 cusecs of water is being released downstream through the dam’s turbines and spillway gates.
“This year, unlike previous seasons, rainfall has significantly contributed to the reservoir’s water,” the official said, noting that with the dam filled to 97% of its capacity, the remaining 3% could be filled within 24 hours if the rains continue. The floodgates have been open for the past 10 days, with nearly 28,000 cusecs of water flowing through them.
The water level at Pong Dam over the Beas river is stable at 1,390.63 feet, just above its danger mark of 1,390 feet.
The dam is receiving 96,777 cusecs of water and releasing 95,836 cusecs downstream. BBMB opened the floodgates at Pong Dam over 15 days ago, flooding low-lying areas and farmland in Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts.
At Harike headworks, built at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers, discharge surged to 2.84 lakh cusecs, worsening the situation in flood-affected Ferozepur and Fazilka districts.
According to the government bulletin, 10,000 hectares of agricultural land were inundated in 24 hours, increasing the total flooded area from 1.38 lakh hectares to 1.48 lakh hectares.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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Himachal Pradesh, India, India
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