Chandigarh, Aug 21 — With heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh swelling the Beas and Satluj rivers, water from upstream dams has begun flooding into Punjab’s plains, prompting the state government to rush ministers and relief teams to affected districts.
For the past week, controlled releases have been underway at Pong Dam, while Bhakra Dam has been discharging water for the last two days. Officials said the inflows from the hills have left no choice but to release excess water, a move that has already inundated several villages in Sultanpur Lodhi, Tanda, Nangal, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Tarn Taran.
An emergency meeting of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) was held Wednesday evening to review the evolving crisis. Representatives from Himachal Pradesh pressed the board not to curtail discharges into the Beas, pointing to rising floodwaters in their own districts.
“Beginning Thursday, about 75,000 cusecs will be released in a regulated manner from Pong Dam,” officials said, noting that inflows at the reservoir had surged to nearly one lakh cusecs on Wednesday. The Bhakra reservoir, which touched 1,666.32 feet the same day, will also continue controlled releases.
Recognizing the urgency, Punjab dispatched senior ministers to oversee relief and assess damage on the ground. Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal has been assigned to Ferozepur and Tarn Taran, while Minister Hardeep Mundian will monitor conditions in Sultanpur Lodhi. Laljit Bhullar has been tasked with distributing relief supplies in Patti, and Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh will coordinate with district officials and Indian Medical Association representatives in Kapurthala.
Officials said the government was maintaining constant contact with the BBMB to balance the dual challenge of protecting Punjab’s low-lying villages while preventing upstream reservoirs from breaching danger levels.
“Every effort is being made to minimize damage while ensuring public safety,” a state government spokesperson noted. “Our priority is to safeguard lives and provide immediate relief to those affected.”
