With the region experiencing deficient post-monsoon rain and snow cover in catchment areas of major dams, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has sounded a note of caution over water availability. “We have asked our member states to exercise caution…

Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service

With the region experiencing deficient post-monsoon rain and snow cover in catchment areas of major dams, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has sounded a note of caution over water availability.

“We have asked our member states to exercise caution in projecting their demand for water in the coming months given that the current storage as well as inflows are below normal for this time of the year,” a senior BBMB functionary said.

Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan are BBMB member states that draw water from Bhakra and Pong dams.

The water level recorded at the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh was 1,633 feet on November 20, which is about 15 feet lower than the last year’s level. At the Pong Dam on the Beas, the water level was 1,343 feet, about 18 feet lower than that last year.

“The water level implies that that the current storage at Bhakra is about 63 per cent of its total capacity, which is 10 per cent below normal, while at Pong, the storage is 50 per cent, which is 15 per cent below normal,” the official said. Inflows into the reservoirs vary from day to day, depending on climatic conditions and environmental factors. At Bhakra, the inflow today was around 6,000 cusecs which is 10-12 per cent below normal.

 Snowfall in the catchment areas of dams has also been below par. The Western Himalayas have not experienced any significant snowfall so far this season. “The region used to start getting snow by mid-October. There was a forecast of a western disturbance in mid-November, but it did not materialise. The present snow cover is estimated to be about one billion cubic metres, which is about 30 per cent less than what it should be,” the official said.

According to BBMB officials, no long-term forecasts for snowfall are issued and hence it is not feasible to determine future inflows. “Since water levels were already deficient at the end of the filling season, which ended in September, we have no choice, but to exercise caution during summer months while catering to member states for irrigation and power generation in case there is not enough precipitation during winters,” officials said.