In some little respite for villages adjoining Pong dam, the release was brought down to 79,780 cusecs at 5 pm on Friday. The water release was between 1.48 lakh cusecs and 1.18 lakh cusecs since August 15 and it was brought down finally on Friday.
The water level in the dam also came down to 1393.62 feet which is now over 6 feet below the full capacity mark but still three feet above the designated upper limit of the dam. The daily release of water had submerged a number of villages in the adjoining area causing a lot of problems for the locals. In Kapurthala district, 45 villages in the Bholath and Sultanpur Lodhi areas are inundated.
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Around 18 villages in Hoshiarpur district of the Doaba region are also grappling with the effects of the ongoing floods. The Beas River, swollen due to the Pong Dam’s substantial water release, has inundated 63 villages in the Doaba region and approximately 150 villages in the Majha region. While government authorities and disaster response teams are engaged in rescue operations, Indian Army and NDRF are helping affected villages, particularly in Sultanpur Lodhi.
Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that water levels are starting to recede in certain villages, hinting at a gradual improvement in the flood situation but it is still not safe to return to the villages. Deputy Commissioner Captain Karnail Singh said that divers are busy locating one Lakhwinder Singh (50) who was reportedly swept away Wednesday. He also met the family members on Thursday and assured them all possible help.
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Parkash, along with Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, visited the flood-affected villages in the Tanda and Mukerian. Som Parkash said the recent floods, which occurred in the villages of Talwara, Mukerian, Dasuya and Tanda areas due to the release of excess water from the Pong dam reservoir, have resulted in significant damage to people’s homes, agricultural crops, and livestock.