Punjab flood alert: Dam levels breach danger mark, rivers in spate

Dams nearing critical levels

• Bhakra Dam, with a maximum permissible water level of 1,680 feet, stood at 1,671.49 ft by 7 am, just 9 ft short of its maximum permissible limit. The inflow in the morning hours touched 39,133 cusecs, forcing steady outflows of over 43,800 cusecs.
• Pong Dam (maximum level at 1,390 ft) crossed its full capacity by Tuesday evening, touching 1,393.13 ft – a dangerous overshoot. The inflow remained extremely high at 1,92 lakh cusecs, with outflow touching 94,845 cusecs, raising serious concerns for the downstream Beas catchment areas.
• Ranjit Sagar Dam, whose maximum permissible water level is 527.91 metres, also swelled to 526.67 metres, close to its designed storage mark. Outflow peaked at 2 lakh cusecs, putting additional pressure on the Ravi river system.
• Shahpur Kandi Dam (maximum limit of 405 metres) touched 399.80 metres, with a staggering 2.15 lakh cusecs discharge late on Tuesday.

River monitoring stations reported dangerous discharge levels

• Gidderpindi, part of the Sutlej river system, recorded 57,900 cusecs during the morning hours.
• Harike downstream, where both Sutlej and Beas converge, swelled 2.60 lakh cusecs on Wednesday morning.
• Hussainiwala downstream, where water flows towards Pakistan, jumped from 2.46 lakh cusecs on Tuesday night to 2.57 lakh cusecs in the morning, threatening large-scale inundation in the Ferozepur sector.
• The Ghaggar river system, usually calmer, also showed a rise, with flows crossing 28,480 cusecs at Sardulgarh bridge, putting flood embankments under strain.

Beas system in spate

• The Beas at Naushehra Mirthal reported consistent discharge of 70,000 cusecs of water, with Passi and Dhilwan in spate at 1.85 lakh–1.67. lakh cusecs.
• At Madhopur, the Ravi discharges exceeded 2.12 lakh cusecs in the morning.
• The Ujh river, a tributary of the Ravi, surged beyond 2.5 lakh cusecs on Tuesday evening, adding pressure to already swollen Ravi channels.

The flood situation across Punjab turned alarming on Wednesday as water levels in major dams such as Bhakra, Pong, Ranjit Sagar, and Shahpur Kandi surged close to or above their designed thresholds, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain for the next 24 hours. Simultaneously, discharge from rivers Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rose steeply, putting low-lying districts of Punjab on high flood alert.

Data procured from the government revealed the grim situation in the state.

Dams nearing critical levels

• Bhakra Dam, with a maximum permissible water level of 1,680 feet, stood at 1,671.49 ft by 7 am, just 9 ft short of its maximum permissible limit. The inflow in the morning hours touched 39,133 cusecs, forcing steady outflows of over 43,800 cusecs.
• Pong Dam (maximum level at 1,390 ft) crossed its full capacity by Tuesday evening, touching 1,393.13 ft – a dangerous overshoot. The inflow remained extremely high at 1,92 lakh cusecs, with outflow touching  94,845 cusecs, raising serious concerns for the downstream Beas catchment areas.
• Ranjit Sagar Dam, whose maximum permissible water level is 527.91 metres, also swelled to 526.67 metres, close to its designed storage mark. Outflow peaked at 2 lakh cusecs, putting additional pressure on the Ravi river system.
• Shahpur Kandi Dam (maximum limit of 405 metres) touched 399.80 metres, with a staggering 2.15 lakh cusecs discharge late on Tuesday.

River monitoring stations reported dangerous discharge levels

• Gidderpindi, part of the Sutlej river system, recorded 57,900  cusecs during the morning hours.
• Harike downstream, where both Sutlej and Beas converge, swelled 2.60 lakh cusecs on Wednesday morning
• Hussainiwala downstream, where water flows towards Pakistan, jumped from 2.46 lakh cusecs on Tuesday night to 2.57 lakh cusecs in the morning, threatening large-scale inundation in the Ferozepur sector.
• The Ghaggar river system, usually calmer, also showed a rise, with flows crossing 28,480 cusecs at Sardulgarh bridge, putting flood embankments under strain.

Beas system in spate

• The Beas at Naushehra Mirthal reported consistent discharge of 70,000 cusecs of water, with Passi and Dhilwan in spate at 1.85 lakh–1.67. lakh cusecs.
• At Madhopur, the Ravi discharges exceeded 2.12 lakh cusecs in the morning.
• The Ujh river, a tributary of the Ravi, surged beyond 2.5 lakh cusecs on Tuesday evening, adding pressure to already swollen Ravi channels.

Danger level crossed

Officials confirmed that both Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams have already crossed their maximum water levels, while Bhakra is only a few feet away. The huge inflows, coupled with controlled but high-volume outflows, are swelling rivers downstream. Though Pong is located on the Punjab-Himachal border, heavy rain in Himachal often causes flooding in Punjab, said an officer.

Experts warned that if heavy rain continues in the catchment areas of Himachal and Jammu, breaches in flood embankments in Punjab’s Doaba and Malwa belts cannot be ruled out.

Districts under threat

Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Ferozepur districts have been put on alert as senior officers at the state Drainage Department said that the Ropar-Phillaur belt on the Sutlej is already facing rising water levels. The Gidderpindi-Yousufpur stretch is seeing nearly 57,900 cusecs flow, putting 35,000 acres of farmland at risk. The Harike-Hussainiwala sector could face severe flooding if inflows continue at the current pace, said an officer.

Government action

Flood control rooms in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana are on 24-hour watch. The district administrations have begun evacuations from low-lying areas and sandbagging vulnerable embankments.

Deputy commissioners have appealed to residents in riverine belts to shift to higher ground and avoid unnecessary travel near river bridges.

Officials confirmed that both Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams have already crossed their maximum water levels, while Bhakra is only a few feet away. The huge inflows, coupled with controlled but high-volume outflows, are swelling rivers downstream. Though Pong is located on the Punjab-Himachal border, heavy rain in Himachal often causes flooding in Punjab, said an officer.

Experts warned that if heavy rain continues in the catchment areas of Himachal and Jammu, breaches in flood embankments in Punjab’s Doaba and Malwa belts cannot be ruled out.

Districts under threat

Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Ferozepur districts have been put on alert as senior officers at the state Drainage Department said that the Ropar-Phillaur belt on the Sutlej is already facing rising water levels. The Gidderpindi-Yousufpur stretch is seeing nearly 57,900 cusecs flow, putting 35,000 acres of farmland at risk. The Harike-Hussainiwala sector could face severe flooding if inflows continue at the current pace, said an officer.

Government action

• Flood control rooms in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana are on 24-hour watch. The district administrations have begun evacuations from low-lying areas and sandbagging vulnerable embankments.
• Deputy commissioners have appealed to residents in riverine belts to shift to higher ground and avoid unnecessary travel near river bridges.