Pong Dam level rises by 11 ft in 36 hours, water to be relased in Beas today

The maximum capacity of the Pong Dam, which is located in Talwara in Hoshiarpur district, is 1390 ft and the water had already touched the level of 1386.15 ft by 7 pm on Monday. It was at 1375.15 ft Sunday morning at 7 am. The dam has been receiving 1.19 lakh cusecs inflow to three lakh cusecs since Sunday morning. At 7 pm on Monday, the inflow was 1.41 lakh cusecs. Dam authorities said that after 2011 this was for the first time that dam was going to release so much water at one go. Earlier in 2011, 70,000 cusecs was released from dam in a single day.

The villages including Halerh, Motla, Koliyan, Jahanpur, Mehtabpur, Miani Malay, Harda Kalita, Naushera Pattam, Mauli Mehandi, Bagdoi, Dhania Pattan, which are located on the banks of the river Beas have been put on high alert. In Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts, around 5000 acres of cultivable land faces a flood threat.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hoshiarpur, Isha Kalia said that BBMB will release 49,000 cusecs water from dam on September 25. She appealed to people of villages near Beas river to take preventive measures.

Water being released into Sutlej river comes from its three local streams including Siswan, Savaan and Sarsa that flow down stream from the dam.

Jalandhar DC Varinder Sharma said he was personally in touch with the high ups in Army and BSF to deal with any sort of situation. He said that due to excessive release of water into Sutlej safe evacuation of people and cattle from low lying areas was necessary. He said that the SDMs have also been entrusted with the task to identify safer places in the district for movement of people, adding that arrangements for dry fodder for animals has been made. He said that if needed mandis would be converted into relief centres.

In Kapurthala and Nawanshahr relief centres have been set up by DCs Mohamad Tayyab and Vinay Bublani,
respectively.