Punjab Floods: Over 3,000 relocated after release of excess water from dams

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Hindustan Times. Currently, Punjab is facing fresh floods with many areas of Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, and Rupnagar districts submerged following the release of excess water from the dams, PTI reported. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that the Punjab government is keeping a close watch on the situation, adding that relief and rescue operations are underway in the flood-hit areas.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which manages the Bhakra and the Pong dams, on Wednesday, said it will release excess water in a controlled manner for the next four to five days to take the level in their reservoirs to a safe level, as per PTI reports. Speaking to media persons here, BBMB Secretary Satish Singla said excess water was released from the dams following heavy inflow in the reservoirs. The water levels in the Bhakra and the Pong dams are 1,677 feet and 1,398 feet, respectively.

The Bhakra dam on the Sutlej River and the Pong dam on the Beas River -- both in Himachal Pradesh -- are brimming after heavy rain in their respective catchment areas. The level in the Beas and the Sutlej rivers rose after the release of surplus water from the two reservoirs, flooding low-lying areas and those near the banks in Punjab. Notably, Punjab is witnessing floods for the second time in just over a month.

Several parts of the state were affected by a downpour in the state between July 9 and 11 that flooded vast tracts of farmlands and other areas, besides paralyzing daily life. “Though the situation is under control, priority is still being given to rescue and relief work in the worst affected areas. I am personally monitoring the situation," Bhagwant Mann said.