Shimla: The Bhakra Beas Management Board
(BBMB) authorities today opened the spillways Pong Dam in
Himachal Pradesh as a precaution after the water level in the
dam crossed the danger mark but authorities ruled out flood
threat to lower riparian areas.
Spillways is the passage for release of surplus water
from a dam.
"The water level reached 1394.25 feet, against maximum
storage point at 1395 feet and we have released around 33,000
cusecs water, including 18,000 cusecs through normal operation
of turbines, at 9 a.m. and the current inflow is over 65,000
cusecs", chief engineer V N Goel said.
Water was released from HP Pong Dam into Beas river this
morning for the first time in 15 years as the level had
crossed the danger mark but there was no cause for panic as
there was no threat of floods downstream Ravi, he added.
The Pong Dam located in HP along Punjab border, about 250
km from here, supplies water to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan
for irrigation and the water was discharged after consulting
the Bhakra Dam authorities as the released waters of both the
Bhakra and Pong could damage Harike barrage near Punjab`s
Ferozepore town.
PTI
