Bela villages in Ropar to be evacuated as more water to be released from Bhakra Dam today afternoon

The district administration of Ropar has decided to evacuate people from Bela villages in the district as BBMB is likely to release about 75,000 cusecs of water into the natural basin of the Sutlej due to increased inflows in Bhakra Dam by this afternoon. The water level in Bhakra Dam by this morning had reached 1,678 feet, just two feet below the optimum level of 1,680 feet.

The BBMB authorities used to fill the dam up to 1,685 feet until 1988. However, after the 1988 floods in Punjab, the maximum water level in Bhakra Dam has been fixed at 1,680 feet.

The villages from which people are being evacuated include Harsa Bela, Bela Ramgarh, Bela Dhiani Upper, Bela Dhiani Lower, Sensowal, Elegra, Bela Shiv Singh, Bhalan, Bhanam, Singhpura, Plasi, Taraf Majara, and Majari.

Bela villages are those located inside the natural flow of the Sutlej river. Most of these villages have lost connectivity due to the increased flow in the Sutlej river.

The Minister for Education, Harjot Singh Bains, has issued an appeal in a video message to people residing in Bela villages to move to safer places as BBMB would release an extra 5,000 cusecs of water into the natural basin of the Sutlej. He said that proper arrangements have been made to house people evacuated from Bela villages in inns and other government properties.

Sources here said that the BBMB was being forced to release extra water into the natural flow of the Sutlej as inflows in Bhakra Dam remained high. The inflows in Bhakra Dam this morning were 86,822 cusecs, while the outflows were 65,042 cusecs. The sources here said that with the Bhakra Dam level just 2 feet below the optimum level, the BBMB authorities have decided to release extra water, which may rise to 70,000 cusecs by afternoon, the sources said.

The water level in the Pong Dam reservoir was at 1,393.19 feet, which was three feet higher than the optimum level of 1,390 feet. The inflows in Pong Dam were 160,183 cusecs, whereas the outflows from the dam were at 79,637 cusecs.