Flood risk forces BBMB to consider dredging Pong dam
The Gobind Sagar Dam, part of the Bhakra project, has lost a quarter of its storage space because of heavy silt build-up.
It now holds 4.5 billion cubic meters instead of the original six, which means it fills and empties faster—raising flood risks for areas downstream.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) is feeling the heat to sort this out.
BBMB chairman on dredging plans
BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi says they're planning dredging at Luhnu point to tackle the silt.
After a super heavy monsoon, both Bhakra and Pong dams got more water than they could handle—14 and 15 billion cubic meters each.
With over 41,000 cusecs still flowing in, managing floods is tough, especially since river channels have shrunk and embankments are weak.
There's talk about bringing back old-school dredging to help out—and on a lighter note, Pong Dam is also famous for attracting migratory birds as a Ramsar Wetland, giving tourism in the area a little boost too.