No flood-like situation in Punjab, water level in dams within safe limits: Minister Goyal
Responding to a call attention motion presented by MLA Rana Inder Pratap Singh regarding preventing flood threats in low-lying areas due to rising water levels in reservoirs, Goyal said that water levels in major reservoirs remained within safe limits as of July 10.
He informed that the water level at Bhakra Dam stands at 1590.48 ft compared to 1614.89 ft on July 10, 2023 during the floods that year. Similarly, the level at Pong Dam is 1325.48 ft as against 1350.63 ft last year and at Ranjit Sagar Dam, it is 505.41 meters compared to 520.2 meters on July 10, 2023. The minister added that all three reservoirs are operating safely with ample buffer from danger levels.
He said the Water Resources Department has executed comprehensive measures to tackle any potential flood situation. The government has allocated Rs 204.5 crore for flood mitigation. Utilizing SDMF, MGNREGA and departmental funds, 599 projects have been taken up, he said.
Goyal said that over 4,766 kms of drains and choes have been desilted/cleaned using departmental machinery. Projects for strengthening embankments have been undertaken under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) while 8.76 lakh EC bags have been procured and 2.42 lakh EC bags have been filled and stored across districts, he added.
Besides this, 53,400 bamboos have been planted along with completion of 1,044 check dams, 3,957 soak pits, and 294 kms of vetiver grass plantations to enhance soil stability.
Goyal also said that control rooms are active across the state, emergency response teams are on standby and real-time monitoring of rivers and drains is underway across vulnerable zones. He reiterated that reservoir levels are stable and are well below critical limits. He said that the government has put robust systems in place at the ground level and in planning to respond swiftly and effectively to any flood threat.
Earlier, the Sultanpur MLA drew the attention of the House towards the increase in water level in the reservoirs of the dams due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, a marker of flood risk for Punjab. He also pointed towards the 'poor condition' of embankments along the Beas River.
Rana Inder Pratap Singh said that in the past six months, he identified 12 to 15 critical locations between Harike and Dhilwan where the embankments were 'alarmingly weak' and highly susceptible to breaches during rising water levels in the reservoirs.
Singh said the vulnerabilities were shared in detail with the concerned deputy commissioner and the cabinet minister, and formal reminders were also sent.
However, no concrete steps were taken, he claimed.
The lawmaker emphasised that all repair and strengthening work needed could have been executed under the MGNREGA scheme, yet the situation persists. Citing an example, he reminded the House that during the 2023 floods, an isolated embankment spanning nearly 125 acres near the Goindwal bridge had obstructed the natural water flow.
As a result, all water pressure converged at a single point, increasing the risk of a breach.
He urged the Punjab government to undertake desilting in this area to prevent a similar crisis from occurring again.
The MLA further sounded an alarm over alleged illegal mining activities in the embankment zones, particularly in areas where temporary structures have been erected by locals.
Such unauthorised activity is aggravating the flood risk and must be urgently addressed, he said and urged the government to conduct a thorough inspection of all old and vulnerable embankments.
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