Bhakra, Pong reservoirs’ water level hits new low

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana are heading for a major power and water crisis as the water level at the Bhakra and Pong dams has plummeted alarmingly. The water level at Bhakra has depleted by around 60 feet and the flow of water has more than halved compared to last year.

On June 28 last year, Bhakra received 44,916 cusec water in its reservoir and had a water level of 1,590.61 feet. However, this year on the same day, water inflow at Bhakra was recorded at 22,725 cusec and the water level hit a new low of 1,534.5 feet.

The power generation at Bhakra has also come down by 20 to 30 lakh units (LU) per day on an average.

Bhakra, the lifeline of northern India, has been witnessing a low water inflow the entire June primarily because of slow snow meltdown on mountain tops and lack of good rains in the hills.

The water at the dam hit a low of 12,695 cusec on June 15 when its level went down to 1,530 feet. Last year, the dam had an inflow of 25,136 cusec on June 15.

According to experts, the situation is going to get worse as the monsoon is also expected to be delayed this year.