With water downstream subsiding, discharge from Bhakra to be stepped up

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 19

Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) will increase the quantum of discharge of water from the Bhakra Dam to ensure that the water level in the reservoir does not rise beyond the permissible limits. According to BBMB sources, the discharge of water through its sluice gates will be stepped up by about 20,000 cusecs.

“The inflow into the dam is between 80,000 to 100,000 cusecs, while the total outflow had been restricted to about 54,000 cusecs, including 18,000 from the sluice gates, over the past few days,” a BBMB official said. 

“Since many rivulets downstream of the dam were contributing excess water into the Sutlej, we had held up the discharge of additional water from the dam,” he added.

Following heavy rains in the region, the water released from the dam’s sluice gates accounted for just about 10 per cent of the total water that had accumulated downstream and caused floods in the vicinity of the Sutlej in Punjab over the past couple of days.

“Once water from various sources downstream of the dam subsided, we decided to step up the controlled release from Bhakra to manage excess water and also to ensure a buffer for heavy inflow due in case of heavy rains in the catchment area over the next few days,” the official said. “The additional water from Bhakra is not likely to cause any adverse situation,” he added.

Later, a press release from the Bhakra Beas Management Board confirmed that they were indeed increasing the water discharge from the dam.  

“Though every effort was made to restrict the releases from Bhakra, however, considering the present level of 1681 feet and the heavy inflows to the tune of more than 1,00,000 lac cusecs coming into the reservoir, it has been decided to increase the release through spillway of Bhakra dam from 538 cumec (19,000 cusec) to 1161 cumec (41,000 cusec), in addition to the releases from turbines,” the statement said. “This release from spillway will be about 14% of the total capacity of spillway.”

The statement also said that the board had stopped generation of power from the Pong Dam “to minimize the flooding at Harike barrage”.

The board was constantly monitoring the situation in Bhakra dam, the release said.

 “The position of water in Bhakra dam is being monitored continuously and is under control. All necessary steps are being taken for the safety of the Dam as well as for release of minimum possible water through spillway, downstream of the dam.”