Water level in dams below normal

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, May 8

Amidst recurring heat waves and deficient rainfall, the water level in crucial dams in the region remains low in the pre-monsoon season.

While the current storage is better than it was at this time last year, it is lower than the past 10-year average, data compiled by the Central Water Commission (CWC) shows.

The reservoir at Bhakra Dam, which lies on the Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh, is at present filled up to 23 per cent of its total capacity, compared to the 10-year average of 28 per cent. Last year, the storage at this time was 11 per cent.

The current storage at Pong on the Beas in Himachal is 28 per cent, which happens to be the same level the 10-year average. It was 15 per cent last year.

At Thein Dam on the Ravi in Punjab, the current storage is 40 per cent of its capacity. It was 31 per cent last year and the average was 52 per cent over the past 10 years.

These dams are critical for power generation and irrigation in the region. The three dams have a combined electricity generation capacity if nearly 3,000 MW. Bhakra and Thein have an irrigation potential of 676 thousand hectares and 348 thousand hectares, respectively.