Water level in Pong Dam touches 1,379.98 feet

With the water level of Pong Dam in Kangra district rising to an alarming position at 1,379.98 feet at 9 am on Sunday, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) began controlled releasing of 57,221 cusecs of water through turbines and spillways of the dam.

The BBMB issued an alert to the district administrations of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh and Hoshiarpur in Punjab to take precautionary measures in the low lying areas.

Already, a flood-like situation has emerged in the mand areas of the Beas river in both the states. Many villages and settlements located in the river belt have reportedly submerged in both the states.

The release of water from Pong Dam has brought devastation to mand’s Bhograwan village in Kangra district, where the sudden rise in the Beas river submerged several acres of fertile land and put houses at risk.

A multi-storey house in the village now stands on the verge of being “swallowed” by the river. Though the administration evacuated families in advance, the sight of many homes collapsing into the swelling waters has left villagers shattered.

The rising water also wreaked havoc in Riali, Mand Ghandran, Mand Sanaur and Mand Miyani villages. Many houses submerged, forcing residents to evacuate. Several settlements were cut off from the mainland, virtually turning into islands.

The BBMB was forced to release water amid continuous inflow due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Beas river and discharge from Pandoh Dam in Mandi district. The local tributaries — Dehar Khud, Buhal Khud and Dehri Khud —are also in spate, further contributing to the inflow of water in Pong Dam.

The maximum storage capacity of the dam is 1,410 feet, with 1,390 feet marked as the danger level. Normally, in general practice, the BBMB authorities release water when its level crosses 1,365 feet.

Kangra District Magistrate Hemraj Bairwa told The Tribune that the water level in Pong Dam touched 1,379.98 feet at 9 am on Sunday. The total inflow of water was 1,09,789 cusecs and it was still increasing due to intermittent rains lashing the Beas river catchment areas in the hill state, he said.

Considering the safety concerns of Pong Dam, it was decided to release 17,620 cusecs of water through turbines and 39,601 cusecs through spillways, Bairwa said, while adding that a total of 57,221 cusecs of water was released today.

Bairwa said he had instructed the BBMB authorities to release water slowly and gradually in a controlled manner. He said the pre-emptive step of controlled water release would avert large-scale damage and ensure safer regulation of the reservoir amid huge inflow of water. More than 100 families in the mand area of Kangra district prone to floods have already shifted to safer places.