Sutlej water level rises, residents told to stay away

Rampur, June 11

Amid the sweltering heat, glaciers in the mountains are rapidly melting. With this, the water level in Sutlej is on the rise. As a precautionary measure, the authorities have been asking people to stay away from river banks.

The Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric project, the largest underground power project in the country with a capacity of 1,500 MW, is located along the Sutlej. Officials have installed an alarm system at several locations along the bank to alert people if the water level increases.

Manoj Kumar, head, SJVN Nathpa Jhakri project, said for the first time in the country, an early warning system has been installed at the project site. He said officials are making announcements about the rising water level in the river. Other communication channels are also being used to keep people aware of the developments.

“People should stay away from the banks till September 15 as extra water is flowing from the mountains and it will need to be released. The project is operating at full capacity round the clock. During the process of flushing silt from the dam, the water level rises,” he added.