Sukhna Lake floodgate opened for record 11th time this monsoon

The UT Administration took measures to manage the rising water level of Sukhna Lake following rainfall in the catchment area, opening one of the three floodgates in the early hours of today for a record 11th time this monsoon season.

The excess water was released into the Ghaggar river through the Sukhna Choe as the lake's water level crossed the danger mark of 1,163 feet.

The floodgate was opened around 4 am and closed around 12:30 pm when the water level dropped to approximately 1,162.90 feet. This marks the 11th instance of floodgate opening this monsoon, with previous openings occurring on September 6, 3, and 1, and August 30, 29, 19, 17, 15, 8, and 6.

The UT Engineering Department has ensured round-the-clock monitoring of the lake's water level, deploying officials at the regulatory end and installing CCTV cameras for regular surveillance.

A control room has been established to facilitate coordination with the district administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, ensuring proper communication during floodgate operations.

Officials alerted the neighbouring district administrations and traffic police prior to opening the gates.

Ddata shows floodgates were opened four times in 2023, six times in 2022 and five times in 2021. Notably, the opening of two floodgates in August 2020 led to widespread flooding in Zirakpur's low-lying areas alongside the Sukhna Choe. On September 24, 2018, floodgates were opened after a gap of 10 years.