Punjab on alert as water releases from Himachal dams inundate villages; emergency teams rushed

Floodwaters from Himachal dams inundate villages in Punjab, prompting relief efforts.

The Punjab government has rushed its teams and dispatched senior cabinet ministers to several northern districts after controlled water releases from major dams in Himachal Pradesh led to widespread flooding across the plains.

According to report by The Tribune, the continuous rains in the upstream areas of the Beas and Satluj rivers have caused water levels in the Pong and Bhakra dams to rise significantly, necessitating the managed release of water into the rivers below.

The situation prompted an emergency meeting of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on Wednesday evening to assess the escalating crisis.

The Tribune reported that during this meeting, a representative from the Himachal Pradesh government made a direct appeal to the BBMB, urging it not to restrict the release of water into the Beas River due to severe flooding in their own areas.

In response to the mounting pressure, officials confirmed that a substantial controlled release of 75,000 cusecs of water from the Pong Dam will begin on Thursday.

This decision comes after inflows into the dam reached approximately 1 lakh cusecs the previous day.

Furthermore, with the water level in the Bhakra Dam reaching 1666.32 feet on Wednesday, controlled releases from this reservoir will also continue into Thursday.

These sustained releases have already impacted a swathe of villages across multiple districts, including Sultanpur Lodhi, Tanda, Nangal, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Tarn Taran, The Tribune reported.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the state government has taken a high-level approach to crisis management. Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal has been tasked with reviewing the flood situation in Ferozepur and Tarn Taran.

His colleague, Minister Hardeep Mundian, will assess the conditions in Sultanpur Lodhi.

Meanwhile, Minister Laljit Bhullar will be responsible for distributing essential relief materials to affected residents in the Patti area.

Dr Balbir Singh is scheduled to hold meetings with district officials and Indian Medical Association office-bearers in Kapurthala to coordinate the public health response. The state remains on high alert as water continues to course down from the hills.