Rising Bhakra levels: Bir Devinder asks govt to take early action

The Indian Express was the first to report last week that the Bhakra reservoir was brimming due to incessant rains in the hills. Water level in Bhakra is rising by at least four feet every day. The level is close to the danger mark of 1,680 feet,recording 1,647 feet on August 10.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has called an emergency meeting of the partner states on August 12 to forewarn Punjab that it may be forced to release the excess water into Sutlej river in case the dam height reached the danger mark any time this month.

Bir said the government should alert all DCs of the flood-prone districts,asking them to undertake mock drills to check their entire apparatus required for flood preparedness. “The entire mechanism to deal with the flood situation should be checked in advance as an enabling measure in case the BBMB releases excess water of Bhakra Dam to Sutlej,” he said,adding,“There should be zero tolerance for the lapses.”

Singh said the Army authorities and other allied agencies should also be alerted in the wake of the rising level of the Bhakra Dam.

Incidentally,the meteorological department has already predicted heavy rains in the catchment area of the dam in the last week of August.