Bhakra Dam water level higher than in 2013

The water level at the Bhakra Dam in Himachal Pradesh has improved and is higher than in the same period last year, officials said Tuesday.

"The water level in the Bhakra Dam reservoir recorded today (Tuesday) at a level of 1,655.14 feet against 1,651.43 feet last year on the same day," a spokesman of the Punjab irrigation department said here.

However, the water level at the Pong Dam on the Beas river was recorded at 1,337.52 feet, which is 31.6 feet less than the level of 1,369.12 feet recorded on the same day last year.

"The water level in Ranjit Sagar Dam on the Ravi river touched 1709.8 feet mark, which is 16.92-feet higher than the water level recorded last year on the same day," he said.

The spokesman said that the inflow of water in Bhakra is 48,733 cusecs, against 44,727 cusecs last year. The inflow at Pong Dam was 25,815 cusecs against 38,102 cusecs on the same day last year.

Irrigation officials and experts had expressed concern till last week that rainfall in catchment areas of these dams was not being adequate this year.

The water level in reservoirs of the Bhakra Dam and the Pong Dam continued to be lower than the level in the same period last year, officials of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said earlier.

The Bhakra Dam on Sutlej river is located about 110 km from here.