Gates of Pandoh, Nathpa dams being opened in Himachal

Gates of the Pandoh and the Nathpa Jhakri dams in Himachal Pradesh are being opened as the water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers is very high on Saturday, an official said.

People have been requested to stay away from rivers, rivulets and streams in the state to avoid any untoward incident, the official said.

The Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric station is also being shut down due to the increasing silt content in the Sutlej river, he said.

According to the official, all the gates of the Nathpa dam would soon be opened and over 1,500 cusecs of excess water would be released through its radial gates.

Several roads in the state were still closed for traffic after heavy rains in the last 24 hours. The Mandi-Kullu national highway will remain closed for some more time, the official said.

A portion of the Valley Bridge at Akhara Bazaar in Kullu has also been damaged. A number of roads in Shimla district have also been closed due to landslides and uprooted trees due to heavy rains, he said.

The Mandi-Joginder Naga national highway and the Mandi-Rewalsar road are closed at Maigal due to landslides, he added.