Himachal Dams Release Water: Punjab Issues High Alert, Visitors Advised to be Cautious
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu) : Due to continuous rains and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, the water level of rivers in Punjab has increased due to the release of excess water from major dams of the state and 'high alert' has been issued in many parts.
Water was released from the Kol Dam on the Sutlej River at 7 am in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. Officials have appealed to the residents of Punjab, especially those living on the river banks, to remain alert as the water level is likely to rise by four to five meters. An hour later, water was also released from the Pandoh Dam on the Beas River. This water will go to the Pong Dam via Mandi, Dharampur, Sandhol, Sujanpur, Naidun and Dehra and enter Punjab. Meanwhile, the situation in Himachal Pradesh remains serious due to monsoon rains. The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for four districts Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi as heavy rains continue in these areas.
Three vehicles were damaged and one was completely destroyed in a landslide near Ani on Sainj-Ot national highway in Kullu late last night. Flooding was also reported in the Parashar mountain range on the Kullu-Mandi border, forcing residents to evacuate their homes. Though no casualties have been reported, all officials are on 'high alert'. All schools in Mandi's Tikkan sub-tehsil have been closed for today. The Chandigarh-Manali highway, which was blocked near Char Mile last night due to landslides, was reopened for traffic by 08:30 am today. 357 roads are closed across the state and more than 700 electricity transformers are out of order and 179 drinking water schemes are disrupted due to the rains. Mandi district is the worst affected among them.
According to the information received, the Public Works Minister of the state Vikramaditya Singh will visit Mandi to assess the damage caused by the recent cloudburst. According to the officials of the Meteorological Department, the western disturbance is likely to remain active till this evening, due to which more rain is expected in the state. Although the monsoon may weaken a bit from Thursday, but rain is expected to continue in many areas for the next three days.
To read this news in Hindi, Click here