No cut on outflow; BBMB asks states to draw water "cautiously"

Despite water level in Pong dam remaining "worrisome" due to scanty rains in catchment areas, Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) today did not enforce any cut on water outflow to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, though it asked them to draw water "cautiously".
"We have asked partnering states to draw water cautiously to save water for the next crop season. And partnering states have agreed to it," BBMB Member Irrigation SL Aggawal said here today.
A meeting of partnering states was today held here to review the water situation in the wake of "lesser" water level in Pong dam.
Asked about enforcing cut on water release, Aggawal said no such decision was taken during the meeting.

"There is no cut on water outflow to partnering states. (However), they (states) have been asked to use water economically," he said.
Punjab Irrigation Department, Chief Engineer, Amarjit Singh Dullet said that partnering states would continue to get water as per their requirements. "There will be no reduction in water supply to partnering states," he said.

Dullet, however, said if water level in Bhakra reservoir improves after August 15, then 7,000 cusecs more water would be released from Bhakra while that much water would be reduced from outflow of Pong dam.
Aggarwal also said that BBMB would consider increasing water outflow from Bhakra reservoir because of its "comfortable" water level position after it attained the level of 1,670 feet and simultaneously reducing corresponding water release from Pong dam.

"We will look at it (raising water outflow from Bhakra) after it reaches 1,670 feet on August 15. We will also consider water inflow situation at that time before taking decision in this regard," he said.
"If water inflows are better, then we will do balancing (with regard to water outflow) from both dams to save water," he said.
Aggarwal noted that day to day monitoring would be carried out to review the situation.
Pong dam, set up on Beas river, today recorded water level of 1,345 feet which is 33.82 feet less than the level on the same day last year. Inflow of water in Pong dam stood at 22,000 cusecs while outflow was about 14,000 cusecs, said a BBMB official.

Bhakra dam today recorded water level of 1,663.50 feet, 5.20 feet higher than the what was recorded last year on the same day. The inflow of water in Bhakra was about 44,000 cusecs while the outflow was 25,000 cusecs.
Bhakra and Pong dams are to be filled up to a level of 1,680 feet and 1,390 feet respectively by September.