Controlled discharge continues from reservoirs

Chandigarh: Controlled discharge of water by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) continued on Thursday as water level in Pong Dam on Thursday remained at 1,395 feet against the maximum capacity of 1,390 feet and Bhakra Dam holding 1,676 feet of water, which was lower than the maximum level of 1,680 feet.
There was release of 1,19,959 cusecs of water from the Pong Dam and 78, 344 cusecs from Bhakra Dam on Thursday, adding to the floods in several downstream areas of Punjab.“The decision to go for controlled discharge of water from the reservoirs was taken jointly by the BBMB and the Punjab government to free up space in the dams and keep prepared for the possibility of heavy downpour in future,” said an official.
The two reservoirs continued to receive water from the catchment areas and while the run off to Bhakra ranged from 93,767 cusecs to 27,617 cusecs, it was 47,168 cusecs to 42,659 cusecs in case of the Pong Dam.At the Ranjit Sagar Dam, water level was 522 metres against the maximum level of 527 metres. Around 20,330 cusecs was released from the dam while there was an inflow of 11,792 cusecs.
Following incessant rainfall in the catchment area of the Beas, very high inflow of 7,00,000 cusecs of water was received in the Pong Dam on Monday. On Tuesday, about 1.40 lakh cusecs water was released from Pong Dam and around 80,000 cusecs from Bhakra Dam, of which 20,000 cusecs had gone into the canals. On Wednesday, the average outflow from Bhakra and Pong dams was 83,703 cusecs and 141,960 cusecs, respectively.