No excess water to be released from Bhakra, Pong dams till situation in Punjab, Haryana normalises: Board

The BBMB on Wednesday released 10,000 cusecs water from Pong Dam into the Beas river to balance the surplus inflow in the reservoir

After the water resources department insisted, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on Wednesday decided not to release any additional water from Bhakra Dam over the Sutlej and Pong Dam the Beas.

Children fetch drinking water from a hand-pump in a flood-affected area after a breach in river Sutlej following heavy monsoon rains in Jalandhar district. (AFP)

In a technical committee meeting with the partner states — Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan — the decision was reached that no water will be released except what is released in routine to meet the needs for potable and power generation purpose.

According to BBMB secretary Satish Singla, at present 18,000 cusecs are being released and additional releases have been postponed until the flood scenario normalises in Punjab. He also refuted reports that the BBMB is releasing additional 16,000 cusecs taking the total release to 35,000 cusecs.

Due to heavy rainfall from Saturday to Monday, the water bodies, including dam reservoirs, rivers, canals and khuds received so much water that it led to flooding in Punjab and Haryana plains. Currently, the water in Bhakra dam reservoir is 1,630 feet, which is 50 feet less than the maximum filling levels of 1,680 feet, which means 61% of the dam capacity occupied. The water levels in Pong dam is 1,364.70 which has maximum levels to 1,590 feet.

What worries the BBMB is that filling has started at a fast pace at the beginning of the monsoon season and it would continue till September 20.

“Punjab’s demand was endorsed by Haryana and Rajasthan, so we have decided to review the releases after a week or later,” added Singla. Further, according to him, Bhakra dam reservoir has sufficient quantity to handle two such spells of rainfall that ended two days ago.

The BBMB on Wednesday released 10,000 cusecs water from Pong Dam into the Beas river to balance the surplus inflow in the reservoir. Board officials said the river has enough carrying capacity so the amount of water released would not flood any area downstream.