Water rises in Himachal’s Pong dam

Towering Dhauladhar over Pong Dam Lake
File Photo: Towering Dhauladhar over Pong Dam Lake – by Sanjeeva Pandey

Shimla: The water level in Himachal Pradesh’s Pong dam, which meets the irrigation requirements of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, rose again due to continuous moderate to heavy rainfall in its catchment, dam authorities said today.

“The water level at the Pong dam stood at 1,345.10 feet today morning against Sunday’s 1,333 feet,” an official of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) told IANS.

Pong dam, located 250 km from the state capital along the Punjab border, can store water up to 1,395 feet against the danger mark of 1,390 feet.

The official said the inflow in the reservoir was 1.22 lakh cusecs, while the outflow was around 6,000 cusecs.

The partner states had expressed concern over reducing water level in the dam. The water level fell to 1,288.76 ft July 21.

Dam authorities assured the states that the dam had enough water to cater to their needs.

For the first time in 15 years, the spillways of the dam were opened as a precautionary measure Sep 14, 2010, when the water level touched 1,394.25 feet.

One of the largest man-made wetlands in northern India, the Pong dam reservoir is spread over an area of 41 km with a maximum width of 19 km in Himachal Pradesh. It came into existence after the construction of the dam on the Beas river in 1975.

– IANS

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