News
Water Inflow and Outflow from Dams in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Declines Sharply, But More Rain Expected
This monsoon season, northwest India experienced excessive rainfall, impacting water inflows into the reservoirs of major dams across the region.
The inflow and outflow levels at key dams have significantly reduced, even as governments and citizens in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh continue to deal with the devastation caused by heavy rains and floods in certain areas of the states.
At the Pong Dam, the water level was recorded at 1,390.33 feet as of 2 PM on Wednesday — just a few inches above the permissible limit. During the peak of heavy rainfall, the level had risen to three feet above the danger mark.
The inflow and outflow at the Pong Dam, situated on the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, were recorded at 34,883 cubic feet per second (cusecs). During the worst phase of flooding over the past two weeks, inflow had surged to 220,000 cusecs while outflow reached nearly 100,000 cusecs.
Meanwhile, at the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh, the water level stood at 1,677.02 feet on Wednesday afternoon, about three feet above the safe limit. The inflow was 40,666 cusecs, while outflow remained at 50,000 cusecs.
Data from the last decade shows that during September, the average outflow from Bhakra Dam has ranged between 16,781 cusecs and 32,351 cusecs, while at Pong Dam it has varied from 9,622 cusecs to 14,157 cusecs.
This year’s monsoon brought unusually heavy rainfall to northwest India, affecting reservoir flows across the region. So far, rainfall has exceeded long-term averages by 54% in Punjab, 45% in Haryana, and 44% in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the Meteorological Department, in the first 10 days of September alone, Punjab recorded 273% more rainfall than usual, Haryana 225% more, and Himachal Pradesh 149% more.
Further rainfall is expected in the catchment areas of the Sutlej and Beas rivers in the coming days. Several tributaries, streams, and smaller rivers feed into these rivers, and some of them are located downstream of the dams, where their flows cannot be controlled.
The weather department has forecast light to moderate rainfall in parts of Himachal Pradesh until September 16, with heavy rainfall expected in some areas on September 13 and 14.
In Punjab, scattered showers are expected in a few areas until September 16.
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