Chandigarh, September 5 — Punjab authorities have been given a vital breather after the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) cut water discharge from the Bhakra dam by 15,000 cusecs, easing pressure on the Sutlej river embankments that were on the verge of breach in Ludhiana district.
The reduction, from 85,000 cusecs to 70,000 cusecs, came after Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain sounded an alarm to BBMB. The move means that only around 50,000 cusecs will enter the Sutlej over the next six hours, giving engineers and disaster management teams a critical window to carry out emergency repairs.
Officials said the measure coincided with a drop in rainfall and inflow into the Bhakra reservoir, now averaging 70,000 cusecs. “With the weather department predicting lighter rainfall ahead, the reduced discharge may be maintained for a couple of days,” highly placed sources indicated.
At 6 am Friday, the Bhakra dam’s water level was 1,678.74 feet. The Pong dam continued to remain high at 1,394.71 feet, with inflow at 1,05,950 cusecs and outflow at 99,763 cusecs.
For residents along the Sutlej in Ropar, Ludhiana, and nearby districts, the lowered release has brought temporary relief. But the administration has warned villagers to stay vigilant as embankments remain vulnerable.
