Despite reduced inflows in Pong, Bhakra dams, BBMB continues to maintain high outflows

Though the inflows in both Pong and Bhakra dams have reduced, the BBMB continues to maintain high outflows from both the dams. As per data released by the BBMB authorities on Sunday morning, the inflows in the Pong Dam reservoir came down to about 46,521 cusecs from about 98,418 cusecs yesterday. The water inflows in Bhakra Dam also remained at 66,891 cusecs which were about 4,000 cusecs higher with 62,481-cusec inflows yesterday.

Despite reduced inflows in Pong Dam, the reservoir of the BBMB has maintained high outflows of 99,875 cusecs from the dam.

The water level in the Pong Dam was 1,392.97 cusecs about three feet higher than the maximum storage limit of 1,390 feet fixed for the dam. The sources here said that the outflows from Pong Dam reservoir would continue to remain high till the water level in the Dam reduces below 1,390 feet.

The outflows from Bhakra Dam also remained high at 70,000 cusecs today. The water level in Bhakra Dam today was 1,677.98, two feet below the maximum storage limit of 1,680 fixed for the dam. The BBMB authorities are going to maintain about 70,000 cusec releases from Bhakra Dam for next few days to bring down water level in the reservoir to about 1,677 feet. Out of the 70,000 cusecs of water being released from Bhakra Dam, about 55,000 cusecs was being released in the natural flow of the Sutlej while the remaining about 15,000 cusecs was being released in Nangal hydel and Anandpur Sahib hydel canal.

The sources said the authorities in Punjab heaved a sigh of relief as water inflows in Swan and Sirsa, two major tributaries of the Sutlej that enter the river in Ropar district, have reduced considerably which means that overall inflows in the Sutlej from the Ropar headworks are likely to remain lower than 80,000 cusecs.

The said tributaries of the Sutlej are the main source of floods in the river basin in areas of Ropar district and downstream of the river. The said tributaries of the Sutlej bring in about 1 lakh cusecs water each, into the Sutlej during monsoons.