Bhakra level reaches 5 ft short of maximum
Water level of the Bhakra dam reservoir on Tuesday reached 1,675.2 ft, which is less than 5 ft below the maximum level of 1,680 ft.
Water level of the Bhakra dam reservoir on Tuesday reached 1,675.2 ft, which is less than 5 ft below the maximum level of 1,680 ft.
At a meeting with the partner states last week, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) had conveyed that the requirement for opening floodgates would arise in case of rain in the catchment area. Water inflows into the reservoir on Tuesday afternoon were 33,393 cusecs, of which 31,000 cusecs form the penstocks from below the dam and the water is used for generating power.
Water level in the Pong dam reservoir reached 1,387.7 ft, about 2 ft short of the maximum of 1,390 ft. Inflows into the reservoir on Tuesday afternoon were 19,928 cusecs and the outflows were 13,000 cusecs.
Ashok Thapar, BBMB member (power), told HT that there was negligible rain in the catchment area of Bhakra and Pong dam reservoirs. He said there was no threat of floods even if a total of 50,000 cusecs of water was released from the Bhakra dam. In August, when the water level was rising, Bhakra power houses had generated a record 1,652 million units of power.
On August 23, 2010, the BBMB had opened floodgates when a total of 60,000 cusecs of water was released. About 35000 cusecs passed through the turbines for generating electricity and 25,000 cusecs from the floodgates over the top of the dam.
"The filling season of the Bhakra reservoir ends on September 20. We still have 17 days to go. A close watch is to be maintained on the water levels. We are optimistic that this season would pass off peacefully and no drastic step would be required as negligible rain is predicted in the near future," said a dam official, adding that by September 20, the BBMB would try to maintain the water levels to 1,680 ft.