Chandigarh, September 1: Following overnight rainfall, Chandigarh’s UT Administration opened two of the three floodgates at Sukhna Lake on Monday after the water level crossed the danger mark of 1,163 feet. The first gate was opened around 7:30 a.m., followed by a second at 9 a.m., marking the eighth time the floodgates have been opened this monsoon season.
Earlier openings occurred on August 6, 8, 15, 17, 19, 29, and 30. The floodgates release excess water from the lake into the Ghaggar River through the Sukhna Choe.
UT Engineering Department officials are deployed round-the-clock at the regulator end, with CCTV monitoring in place. A control room has been established to coordinate with the district administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula to ensure smooth communication during floodgate operations. Authorities also alerted neighbouring districts ahead of the openings.
Historically, floodgates have been opened four times in 2023, six times in 2022, and five times in 2021. Past openings have caused flooding in low-lying areas, notably in Zirakpur in August 2020, and the lake’s gates were opened in September 2018 after a decade-long gap.
Officials continue to monitor water levels closely as rainfall persists in the region.
