By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Punjab government Tuesday cautioned against the possibility of floods in some districts following the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) releasing excess water from the reservoir of the Pong Dam in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains.
“In view of forecast of heavy rainfall and excessive high inflows in Beas, one lakh (100,000) cusecs water could be released from Pong Dam. According to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) the release of water from Pong Dam in Beas River has been increased from 17,738 cusec to 45,000 cusecs,” an irrigation department spokesman said here.
The state government has issued instructions to the Divisional Commissioners of Jalandhar and Ferozepur and Deputy Commissioners of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawan Shehr), Gurdaspur, Hoshirapur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Moga, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur to keep a strict vigil along the embankment of the rivers.
The Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Ghaggar are the main rivers flowing through Punjab.
The spokesman further said that due to continuous heavy rainfall in the catchment area of the Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh, the water level at the 225-metre high Bhakra Dam has increased.
“The water level at Bhakra Dam today touched the 1,658.93 feet mark, while its capacity is 1,680 feet,” he said.
The water level at Ranjit Sagar Dam on the Ravi river near Pathankot town has touched 524.91 metres against its capacity is 527.91 metres.