Low water level in dams likely to hit irrigation, power generation
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, August 17
Due to deficient monsoon rainfall in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh this year, the water level in the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs may not reach the required mark by the end of filling season (September 20).
The period from June 1 to September 20 is considered the filling season for dam reservoirs. The target for filling the Bhakra reservoir is 1,650 feet on July 31, 1,670 feet on August 15 and 1,680 feet on August 31.
The water storage allowed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board for the Bhakra and Pong reservoirs is 1,680 feet and 1,390 feet respectively. For the Ranjit Sagar Dam reservoir, it is 1,731.5 feet.
On August 15, the water level in the Bhakra reservoir was 1,626.5 feet, an increase of only around 18 feet from August 1 level of 1,608.2 feet. This is 44.5 feet below the target limit of 1,670 feet.
The water level in the Pong dam is 1,351 feet after an increase of around 30 feet in 15 days (up from 1,321 feet). In case of the Ranjit Sagar Dam, the water level has gone up around 28 feet in the last 15 days. The present water level in the dam is 1,639 feet, against 1,611 feet on August 1.
“The low water level in the Bhakra and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs may lead to a situation where there is not enough water to meet the next year’s irrigation demand. Deficient monsoon rainfall till date has resulted in low water levels in the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs,” officials said.
“The water level in these reservoirs has a bearing on irrigation and power generation requirements. The state faced a record power demand of over 16,500 MW during the paddy season and had to impose power cuts to tackle the situation,” said a former power engineer.
The hot weather conditions that prevailed in the state during May and June and insufficient monsoon rainfall thereafter resulted in an unexpected increase in power demand. “The gap between unrestricted and restricted supply given by the PSPCL is around 1,000 MW to 1,200 MW this year. It may increase next year and the consumers may have to face more frequent power cuts,” said a PSPCL official.
PSEB Engineers Association general secretary Ajaypal Ssater levels in dams would surely impact the power generation, besides affecting the farming sector as the water supply for irrigation would have to be curtailed. “The state authorities should start thinking about increasing the solar and thermal power generation so that the situation can be tackled during the next summers when the power demand will increase further,” he said.
