The Ranjit Sagar Dam, built on the Ravi, experienced a drop in water level by 1.25 metres, settling at 525.65 metres on Thursday, offering a brief respite amid widespread flooding concerns, officials said.
Partially submerged houses at a flood-ravaged area in Gurdaspur . (PTI)
Water levels in Bhakra and Pong dams, however, registered a marginal increase despite reduced inflows. The Bhakra Dam, built over Sutlej, recorded a rise of 0.41 feet to reach 1,671.90 feet, while Pong Dam, built over Beas, saw an increase of 0.49 feet, reaching 1393.49 feet on Thursday.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) reported that the inflow into the Bhakra reservoir decreased from over 64,100 cusecs on Wednesday to 53,856 cusecs on Thursday. The dam continues to release 48,000 cusecs of water. At Pong Dam, inflows halved to 1.1 lakh cusecs from 2.2 lakh cusecs recorded on the previous day. The dam is currently releasing 94,845 cusecs.
Officials said the monsoon this year has resulted in record inflows at Pong Dam, with 9.68 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water entering the reservoir during July and August — the highest since the dam’s inception. This figure surpasses the 7.7 BCM recorded during the flood year of 1988 and the 9.19 BCM inflow in 2023.
Facing scrutiny over water discharge during ongoing floods, the BBMB clarified that all releases from Bhakra and Pong dams are made collectively and transparently, based on decisions of the technical committee meeting.
Since August 1, the committee has met seven times to determine floodgate operations and water management strategies. BBMB emphasized that water releases have been increased gradually and with careful attention to dam safety and downstream impact.
“The high inflows necessitated controlled releases. All actions were taken in a transparent manner, prioritizing both structural integrity and public safety,” the spokesperson added.