Pong Dam filled to brim; authorities release 1.36 lakh cusecs of water over fear of floods
The dam's water level had surged by approximately 10 feet in a mere 36 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday evening.
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Evacuation on in Jalandhar villages on Wednesday. (Express Photo) Apprehending potential flooding due to Pong Dam reaching its full capacity on Tuesday evening and to keep heavy inundation at bay, the water level in the dam on Beas River was brought down by 2 feet by releasing 1.36 lakh cusecs of water on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the authorities had released 1.40 lakh cusecs of water downstream to manage the rising water levels.
The dam’s water level had surged by approximately 10 feet in a mere 36 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday evening. However, creating this much space within the dam is projected to take at least 15 days, considering that another 45 days of the rainy season remain. To accommodate this, an outflow of over 1 lakh cusecs of water per day is required to be released from the dam in the coming days.
On Wednesday, the dam’s water level was lowered by 2 feet, settling at 1,397.35 feet.
Sources in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said that it was the third time in its history that the Pong Dam water level had reached its full capacity, and this rapid increase in water levels has prompted concerns about potential flooding and the need to release excess water downstream to manage the situation.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Arun Sidana, chief engineer of BBMB, informed that the dam’s water inflow reached an unusual 7,30,079 (7.30 lakh) cusecs at 2 pm on Monday, surpassing the previous record of 7,15,400 (7.15 lakh) cusecs registered in 1978. Even during the devastating floods of 1988, which resulted in significant loss of life, the highest water inflow was measured at 5.23 lakh cusecs.
The water level at Pong Dam reached 1,390.20 feet on Monday morning, exceeding the upper limit of 1,390 feet. Subsequent measurements showed the water level reaching 1,395.31 feet on Monday afternoon and 1,399.43 feet on Tuesday evening. This prompted authorities to release over 1.40 lakh cusecs of water downstream to manage the rising water levels.
On Wednesday, the inflow of water decreased to around 52,898 cusecs, while the outflow was still 1.36 lakh cusecs of water.
The chief engineer informed that this was the third time the dam got filled to its brim. Earlier the dam had got filled to its full capacity in 1978 and 1988.
Considering the ongoing rainy season in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, officials from BBMB stated that the dam’s water level should be gradually lowered to at least 1,370 feet to avoid flood-like situations.
The Pong Dam is situated in Talwara, on the border of Punjab and Haryana. The primary catchment area for the dam is in Himachal Pradesh.
Due to substantial outflow from dams and the absence of adequate desilting, rivers cannot carry even half of their actual capacity. Consequently, excess water inundates areas along the rivers, leading to flooding.
Furthermore, the Bhakra dam’s water level reached 1,677.15 feet, slightly below the designated upper limit set by the BBMB. Although the inflow of water was measured at 93,227 cusecs and the outflow at 88,560 lakh cusecs of water on Wednesday afternoon, authorities have decided to keep the floodgates open in anticipation of further rain. This action aims to decrease water levels and create additional space within the dam, preparing for the remaining rainy period.
As the rivers Beas and Sutlej traverse through various districts in Punjab, waterlogging and flooding have affected agricultural lands, villages, streets, and roads in regions, including Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Ropar.
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