Bhakra dam level crosses 1,645ft; review meeting called

The water level in the Bhakra reservoir today crossed 1,645ft with the dam's management calling a July 30 meeting of partner states to review the situation on water release.
"Water level in Bhakra dam today reached 1,645.34ft as against 1,562.92ft in the corresponding period last year," a Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) official said today.
The current water level is 82ft more than that in the same period last year.
On July 10, BBMB Chairman AB Agrawal had warned Punjab government that "excess" water in the Satluj and Beas rivers would have to be released in the wake of "heavy" inflows.

He had said that "excess" water would not be released until the level in the dam touched 1,645ft.
"The spillage will be regulated... Not before the Bhakra dam reaches 1,645ft... We will not flood so easily," he had said then.

As to the timing for the release of excess water, a BBMB official said, "A meeting of partner states, including Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, will take place on July 30 to decide how much water is to be released."
Water levels in the Bhakra and Pong dams have remained "exceptionally" high this year due to heavy snow-melting and water inflows, BBMB officials said, adding that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has already been briefed on the matter.

The level of water in Pong dam was 1,360.04ft today, up 69 feet as compared to 1,290.80ft on the same day last year.
Bhakra and Pong dams were to be filled to a level of 1,680ft and 1,390ft, respectively, by September this year - a target which may be fulfilled much earlier than that, dam officials said.
The Punjab CM has already asked state government officials in Ropar, Nawanshehar, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Moga and Kapurthala to gear up to combat any flood-like situation.