Floodgates of Bhakra dam to remain open for two more days: Official

The floodgates of the Bhakra dam will remain open for two more days to release excess water from the reservoir, the storage capacity of which is close to the danger mark.

The danger mark at the dam is 1,680 feet and the water level has reached 1676.93 feet, the dam's Chief Engineer Devendra Kumar Sharma told reporters on Sunday.

The water level is on the rise due to continuous rains in Himachal Pradesh. The floodgates of the dam are releasing 19,000 cusecs of water per day. This discharge will continue for at least two more days in the wake of the rise in the level, he said.

"We had informed the district administration about the opening of the floodgates on August 16. On the other hand, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) had suspended hydroelectricity generation from Pong dam till 6 am today so that water flow could be managed," Sharma noted.

"The Sutlej water that comes into the Bhakra dam through the Beas-Sutlej link has been stopped. This is the first time since 1988 that such a situation has arisen. Officials are monitoring the situation on a half-hourly basis," he added.