Dam inflows and outflows drop sharply across Punjab, Himachal, but more rain likely

Inflows into major dams in the region as well as outflows from them have reduced significantly even as the government and people in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh continue to grapple with the devastation experienced in some parts of these state because of heavy rains and floods.

At Pong Dam, the water level recorded at 2.00 pm on Wednesday was 1390.33 feet, just a few inches above the permissible limit. It was three feet above the danger mark when the region had experienced heavy rains.

The inflow as well as outflow from Pong, which lies on the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, was 34,883 cusecs. During the peak flood period over the past two weeks, inflow had touched 2.20 lakh cusecs, while the outflow was close to one lakh cusecs.

The water level at Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday afternoon was 1,677.02 feet, three feet above the permissible limit. The inflow was 40,666 cosecs, while the outflow was being maintained at 50,000 cusecs.

Over the past 10 years, the mean discharge during the month September varied between 16,781 cusecs to 32,351 cusecs at Bhakra, while it was between 9,622 cusecs to 14,157 cusecs at Pong, available data shows.

North-west India had witnessed surplus rains doing the monsoons this year, which impacted the inflows into the dams’ reservoirs. The monsoon so far has been above the long period average by 54 per cent in Punjab, 45 per cent in Haryana and 44 per cent in Himachal Pradesh.

In the first 10 days of September alone, rains have been above normal by 273 per cent in Punjab, 225 per cent in Haryana and 149 per cent in Himachal Pradesh, according to the weather department.

More rain is still expected in the coming days in regions that form part of the catchment areas of the Sutlej and Beas, which also consists of numerous tributaries, streams and nullahs that empty their waters into these two rivers. Some of these tributaries and nullahs lie downstream of the dams and hence their discharge cannot be controlled.

The weather department has predicted light to moderate rain at some places in Himachal Pradesh till September 16, with the possibility of heavy rain at a few places on September 13 and 14.

In Punjab, scattered to isolated rain is expected at a few places till September 16.