Pong Dam records highest-ever inflow

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, August 14

With heavy rain lashing many parts of the region, the Pong Dam on the Beas in Himachal Pradesh has recorded the highest-ever inflow since it became operational in 1974. The inflow peaked at 7.3 lakh cusecs on August 14, with the water level in the reservoir crossing the upper permissible limit.

Situation at Pong

• 7.3 lakh cusecs inflow into the dam on August 14; the highest-ever inflow since it became operational in 1974
• 1,395.31 ft water level recorded at the Pong on Monday afternoon, against the upper limit of 1,390 feet

According to sources in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the water level at Pong touched 1,395.31 feet this afternoon compared to the upper limit of 1,390 feet, this means the present storage is 107 per cent of its designed capacity.

“We are engaged in flood mitigation through controlled discharges from the Pong as well as Bhakra by opening the floodgates of both dams,” a BBMB official said. “Though the inflows started receding towards evening, the situation is being monitored carefully and the release of water is being calibrated to avoid downstream flooding,” he added.

Situation at Bhakra

• 1.93 lakh cusecs inflow at the Bhakra Dam on Monday; in past inflow has been above 2 lakh cusecs
• 1,675.71 ft water level recorded at Bhakra on Monday against the upper limit of 1,680 feet

The inflow at Bhakra Dam peaked at 1.93 lakh cusecs today, though there have been instances in the past when the inflow above 2 lakh cusecs was seen. The water level at Bhakra recorded today was 1,675.71 feet against the upper limit of 1,680 feet. The reservoir has a leeway of another two feet.

The Bhakra Dam, which lies on the Sutlej in Himachal, is filled up to 96 per cent of its total capacity and at present has the available space to absorb about one lakh cusecs, according to sources in the BBMB.

The mean inflow at Bhakra as well as Pong at this time of the year is 60,000 cusecs. According to available information, the current water level at Bhakra is 36 feet more than that it was on this day last year, while at Pong it is 31 feet more than last year.

While the reservoir at Bhakra is primarily snow-fed, with a large part of its catchment area falling in Tibet, the reservoir at Pong is primarily rain-fed with its catchment area being in Himachal Pradesh where the Beas originates.

“The situation is under control and we are taking decisions to release water in coordination with the state governments involved, but a lot depends on the weather over the next few days as there is a prediction of light to moderate rain with isolated heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh on August 14 and 15,” the official said.

According to government sources, about one lakh cusecs of water is likely to accumulate at the Harike barrage on the Sutlej in south-western Punjab. This includes the waters of the Sutlej and Beas as well as the Chakki river that flows down from Pathankot.

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