Rupnagar:- BBMB officials have reduced the water release from Bhakra Dam from 85000 cusecs to 70,000 cusecs on the request of Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain. Sources said that the Ludhiana DC had sent an SOS message to BBMB that some embankments along the Sutlej river in Ludhiana district are breaking and the water release into the Sutlej should be reduced.
The BBMB Chairman, acting on the request, has decided to reduce the water flow from Bhakra Dam from 85000 cusecs to 70000 cusecs. The release of 15,000 cusecs of water from Bhakra Dam means that about 50,000 cusecs of water will be released into the natural flow of Sutlej for the next 6 hours.
So that Punjab authorities can help in repairing the banks of Sutlej river in different parts of the state. With the decrease in rainfall, the average water flow in Bhakra Dam has also reduced to about 70,000 cusecs.
Highly placed sources told The Tribune that with the Meteorological Department predicting less rainfall in the coming days, BBMB officials may decide to keep the water flow from Bhakra Dam at about 70,000 cusecs for the next few days. According to the data collected at 6 am today, the water level in Bhakra Dam was 1,678.74 feet.
The water level in Pong Dam is at 1,394.71 feet. The inflow of water into the dam has reduced to 1,05,950 cusecs. The release of water from Pong Dam has been 99763 cusecs. The reduction in the flow of water from Bhakra Dam is a relief news for the people living on the banks of the Sutlej river in Ropar and other parts of the state. The district administration has asked the people living on the banks of the Sutlej river to remain vigilant.