CHANDIGARH: The comfortable reservoir levels near the end of the filling season this year at Bhakra, Ranjit Sagar Dam, and Pong are good omens for next year's water and power requirements of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
The water level in the three reservoirs of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are much better placed as compared to last year due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh. More rains are expected in coming days.
On Friday, the water level in Bhakra dam’s reservoir was 1, 668 feet, 29 feet higher than last year's level of 1639 feet at the same time. The reservoir level in Ranjit Sagar Dam is 1711 feet which is 47 feet higher than the level of 1664 feet during the corresponding period last year. Similarly, the Pong dam had a water level of 1384 feet is 34 feet higher than last year's level of 1350 feet.
As per the Central Water Commission (CWC) weekly report of September 15, the total live storage available in Himachal and Punjab reservoirs is 12.20 billion cubic meters (BCM) which is 82.7% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 54% and the average storage of the last ten years during the corresponding period was 80% of live storage capacity of
these reservoirs. Thus, storage during the current year is better than the corresponding period of last year and is also better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.
At Bhakra reservoir it is 82% of total storage while it was 57% last year.The average of last ten years is 81%. At Pong reservoir, water storage is 80% of total storage against last years storage of 41%. At Ranjit Sagar Dam the storage is 80% of total storage capacity.
The power generation from BBMB powerhouses is 506 lakh units comprising of Bhakra is 290 lakh units, Dehar 143 lakh units and Pong is 73 lakh units. In Punjab the hydropower generation is 183 lakh units comprising 54 lakh units from the Ranjit Sagar Dam project and 51 lakh units from Mukerian powerhouses.