Heavy rain in the Beas catchment and steady inflows from Pandoh Dam pushed the Pong Dam reservoir in Kangra to 1,394.51 feet on Thursday morning. This is the highest level recorded this year and has stayed above the danger mark of 1,390 feet for the fifth day in a row.
Officials of the Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said the average inflow was 1,32,595 cusecs, while the actual inflow stood at 1,07,301 cusecs. To manage the rising water, 99,769 cusecs were released downstream, including 74,179 cusecs through the spillway and 16,988 cusecs through turbines. The average outflow was 91,167 cusecs. Authorities said the situation was being closely monitored as it remains unpredictable.
Crops damaged in Kangra
The continuous releases have flooded low-lying areas of Indora and Fatehpur, damaging paddy and maize crops on more than 621 hectares. The Agriculture Department has estimated the losses at Rs 128.80 lakh.
Maize over 218.24 hectares has been affected, with losses of Rs 24.56 lakh. About 30 hectares of maize suffered damage of more than 33 per cent. Paddy has been hit the hardest, with 382.80 hectares inundated and losses worth Rs 95.70 lakh. Nearly 239 hectares of paddy were damaged by more than 33 per cent.
Officials said further assessment was in progress, and a detailed report would be sent to the state government for relief measures. Farmers in flood-prone areas have been advised to remain cautious about possible future releases.
Power supply cut in Mand areas
Floods in the Mand areas of Indora have cut electricity supply in many villages. As many as 29 transformers and nearly 9–10 km of power lines have been damaged. The electricity board said repair work could begin only after water levels recede, as the current flow was too dangerous for staff to operate.
With the power supply down, water schemes have also stopped working, adding to the problems of people living in the flood-hit belt.
Also Read: Pong Dam nears danger mark; alert in Kangra, Hoshiarpur
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