Excess water released from Himachal dam

Shimla : Authorities in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday released excess water from the Pandoh diversion dam, located 112 km upstream of Pong dam, as a precautionary measure, resulting in a rise in the water level in the Beas river downstream.

Pandoh diverts excess monsoon water towards the Pong dam. Otherwise, it diverts water towards the Satluj river which feeds the Gobind Sagar reservoir of the Bhakra dam.

Likewise, excess water was also released from the Larji dam, located upstream of Pandoh.

Officials said the water was released as the inflow in both the dams suddenly rose owing to heavy rainfall in the catchment of the Parvati, a major tributary of the Beas, in the Manikaran Valley in Kullu district.

There were reports of flash floods early Saturday in the Manikaran Valley and in Dhundi in upper Manali town but there were no reports of any loss of life.

However, the inflow of water into the Pong and Bhakra dam increased, but the authorities said there was no need for worry as the reservoirs still have surplus capacity to hold additional water.

A government spokesperson said the Satluj, Beas and Yamuna rivers and their tributaries have been in spate in Kinnaur, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur and Sirmaur districts.

"We have relocated people settled along the banks of rivers to safer places," an official said here.

Kheri town in Hamirpur recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 65 mm, while it was 53 mm in Dharamsala, 34 mm in Kasauli and 32 mm in Dalhousie.

The weather bureau in Shimla said rainfall occurred at a few places in the state. Heavy rainfall was reported at some places in Chamba district.

It said light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at scattered places in the state till Monday.