Flood crisis deepens in Kangra: Pong Dam continues to discharge water above danger mark

The rising discharge from Pong Dam has aggravated the flood situation in the low-lying areas of Kangra district, including Fatehpur and Mand areas of Indora subdivisions.

As per a report of the Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the dam’s water level was 1,391 feet at 4 pm on Sunday, marginally above the permissible mark of 1,390 feet, forcing engineers to maintain high outflow.

According to dam officials, the inflow at Pong stood at 94,855 cusecs, while the total discharge touched 1,09,920 cusecs, highest in the ensuing monsoon season.

Of this, 92,841 cusecs were released through spillways and 17,079 cusecs through turbines. Six power generating machines remained in operation till the time of writing this news report.

The discharge at Maharana Pratap Hydel Channel (MHC) was measured at 11,500 cusecs, while the downstream at Shah Nehar Barrage (SNB) was registered at 98,420 cusecs.

The heavy discharge has caused the Beas river to swell dangerously. The situation worsened in the Indora belt, where water from the Beas entered agricultural fields, submerging standing paddy and maize crops. Villages, including Damtal, Fatehpur, and adjoining hamlets were reported to be facing heavy waterlogging.

The district administration has sounded an alert and deployed NDRF and SDRF teams along vulnerable areas of the Beas river basin. Evacuation advisories have been issued in certain pockets, with residents being urged to move to safer areas. There were reports that some roads connecting smaller villages have also been damaged in the floods.

The officials of the district disaster management authority said that continuous cloudy weather in the catchment could keep inflows high, prolonging the stress on Pong Dam and worsening the flood risk in downstream areas of Kangra district and the adjoining Punjab state.

Kangra District Magistrate Hemraj Bairwa, who visited the flood-hit areas on Saturday, said that the administration was in touch with dam authorities to regulate water release even as the reservoir was already above the danger mark.

He interacted with the local residents, reviewed arrangements at relief camps, and assured all possible support from the administration.

He also inspected the relief camp set up at Government Primary School, Milwan, where several families displaced by rising waters have taken shelter. He reviewed food supply, health facilities, and drinking water arrangements and directed officials to ensure there was no shortage of essentials.

Bairwa, accompanied by MLA Malendra Rajan, also held a review meeting with departmental officers of the subdivision. He instructed all departments to work in close coordination on a war footing to provide timely relief to the affected people.

It may be mentioned that parts of Milwan Panchayat and adjoining villages remained inundated, with agriculture fields submerged under floodwaters. Local authorities were maintaining round-the-clock vigilance along embankments to prevent further damage.

“The district administration is fully committed to ensuring the safety and rehabilitation of the affected people,” Bairwa said, adding that relief and rescue operations would continue until the situation stabilises.