Water level in Himachal dams rises

The water levels in Himachal Pradesh's major dams -- Bhakra and Pong -- have increased comfortably with the monsoon active in the region, an official said on Tuesday.

Both dams serve the irrigation requirements of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, mainly during the off-monsoon season.

"The water levels in the Bhakra dam's Gobind Sagar reservoir and the Pong dam reservoir stood at 1,622 feet and 1,339 ft. respectively on Tuesday," an official of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which manages both the dams built on the Punjab-Himachal border, told IANS over phone.

He said the water levels in both the reservoirs were quite comfortable compared to last year.

The water level at Bhakra dam stood at 1,618 feet and at Pong dam at 1,314 feet on this day last year.

Another official said the water level in both the reservoirs increased by four-five feet each in the past four days owing to heavy rain.

Official data said the maximum storage capacity for the Bhakra dam is 1,702 feet, and 1,393 feet for the Pong dam reservoir.

While the Bhakra Dam is built on the Sutlej river, the Pong Dam is on the Beas river.