Pathankot, June 15
In view of heavy rain lashing the region for the past two days, the state Irrigation and Drainage Department sounded an alert in various pockets of this district for low flood in the Ravi this morning.

The flow of water in the river downstream Madhopur headworks reached around 63,000-cusec mark today. The drainage authorities had to open sluice-gates of the headworks to let river water flow into Pakistan.

“Since the Thein Dam was constructed, water in the Ravi downstream the Madhopur headworks, which flows into Pakistan, has rarely been released. It was released about six or seven years ago,” said a senior official of the department, adding that there was no threat of floods in the area.

He pointed out the alert had been sounded to caution people residing in hutments on the riverbanks. They were not expecting such a situation in June, he added.

Another senior official said the alert had been sounded in the areas, including Narot Jai Mal Singh, Dharamkot and Dera Baba Nanak.

However, there was no danger of floods in the Ravi as it could carry about two lakh cusecs of water.

Gurdaspur SSP Lok Nath Angra said a team of the police officials had been asked to keep a watch on the situation.

According to the information gathered by The Tribune, the catchment areas of Ravi’s three tributaries have received heavy rain for the past two days.

About 22,000 cusecs of water has been released from the Madhopur headworks and about 28,000 cusecs from Ujh. About 10,000 cusecs of water was released into the Beas through the Ravi-Beas link canal at the Madhopur headworks.