Punjab: Due to low water level in dams, power generation and irrigation needs are affected

Punjab: According to the latest report of the Central Water Commission (CWC) dated February 6, water levels in dams in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh this year are significantly lower than during the corresponding period last year. “Low water levels in Ranjit Sagar Dam (RSD), Bhakra Dam and Pong Dam reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are a matter of concern as it may affect the irrigation and power generation needs of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan,” said a former chief engineer of Punjab State Electricity Corporation Limited. “Punjab depends heavily on hydropower generation throughout the year, especially in summers,” he said. Last month, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) had asked member states to be cautious while estimating water demand. Rainfall and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and adjoining areas of Tibet are crucial for the flow of water into the reservoirs of Bhakra Dam on Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh and Pong Dam on Beas. The commission monitors four major reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, which have a total capacity of 14.819 billion cubic metres (BCM).
Currently, these reservoirs have only 3.826 BCM of water, which is 25.8 per cent of their total storage capacity. The storage during the same period last year was 6.357 BCM (42.9 per cent). The normal storage of these four reservoirs during the same period is 6.840 BCM. The CWC report further said that the storage in Punjab’s only reservoir (Ranjit Sagar reservoir) is just 16 per cent of the “full reservoir level” (FRL) as against the storage level of 26 per cent last year and the normal average of 38 per cent during the same period. According to the daily report, the water level of Ranjit Sagar dam is 493.19 metres (1,617.7 feet) and it is 24 feet lower than the water level of 500.34 metres (1,641.4 feet) on February 8 last year. The water level in the Bhakra reservoir is 1,593.3 feet, 15 feet lower than last year’s level of 1,608.25 feet. The water level in the Pong dam is 1,306 feet, 40 feet lower than the level on the same day last year. “Currently, the discharge from the reservoirs is more than the inflow. The situation is likely to improve in April-May after the snow melts. Due to the low water level, power generation at the Bhakra and Ranjit Sagar dams may be affected,” a senior official said.