Chandigarh/Hoshiarpur, Aug. 20 -- In response to rising water levels caused by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has opened the Bhakra Dam's floodgates for the first time in two years, releasing 45,000 cusecs of water into the Sutlej River. The decision comes as the dam's water level approaches its maximum capacity. Additionally, BBMB has announced that starting at 6am on Wednesday, the Pong Dam will release an extra 6,000 cusecs of water into the Beas River due to increasing inflows. The move has triggered a flood alert across Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Tarn Taran districts, with authorities advising residents to remain on high alert. As of Tuesday afternoon, the reservoir level at Bhakra Dam stood at 1,665.37 feet, just 15.45 feet below its maximum permissible storage level of 1,680.82 feet. This marks a 35-foot increase over the same period last year, significantly elevating the flood threat across Punjab's riverine belt. The last time Bhakra's floodgates were opened was on August 13, 2023, when water levels had touched 1,672 feet. However, that release was limited to 8,000 cusecs through the gates as part of a trial run. In contrast, Tuesday's discharge is both larger and strategic, tied to real-time inflow management and regional flood preparedness. At 3pm, the dam authorities began releasing water in a controlled and phased manner - 38,000 cusecs through turbines running at full generation capacity, and 7,000 cusecs through the spillway, after unanimous approval during a technical committee meeting held on Monday with partner states - Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh. BBMB secretary BS Sinhmar confirmed the development as according to him, Punjab's secretary, water resources, Krishan Kumar has agreed to the release of water during the technical committee meeting. Officials stressed that though the dam still has room for additional storage, the decision to open the gates was a preventive step to manage inflows expected to rise further due to a forecast of heavy rainfall from August 23 to 25 in Himachal Pradesh and adjoining areas. "The spillway release is being carried out in a phased and measured manner to prevent sudden flooding downstream. If inflows continue to remain high, more water will be released after advance notice to all stakeholder states," a senior BBMB official said. The board has planned to open the gates gradually - one foot in the first hour, two feet in the second and subsequently three feet. The water level in the dam on Tuesday touched 1,665.37 feet and inflow into the reservoir is 45,000 cusecs. The meticulous release plan is intended to gradually increase water flow into the Sutlej while keeping downstream effects under control, said officials. The district administration in Rupnagar has issued a formal advisory for residents of villages and towns along the Sutlej, urging them to stay alert and take precautions against the rising water levels. Low-lying areas are at particular risk and local authorities have been instructed to stay in touch with panchayat-level officials for emergency response. Punjab's water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal convened a high-level video conference on Tuesday with deputy commissioners of Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Fazilka, along with all superintending and executive engineers of the drainage department. "Due to continuous rainfall in upper Himachal and the resulting surge in our rivers, strict 24x7 monitoring of embankments is non-negotiable. All DCs must ensure roster-based patrolling and maintenance of duty registers without exception," the minister said. He further instructed district officials to ensure that relief camps are fully equipped with shelter, food, clean drinking water, and medical care for any displaced families, should evacuations become necessary. Besides Bhakra, the Pong Dam on the Beas, located upstream of Punjab's border, is also experiencing unprecedented water inflow, with the reservoir level having crossed 1,383 feet. Its floodgates were opened last week, leading to the submergence of more than 1,000 hectares of agricultural land downstream. The Ranjit Sagar Dam on the Ravi is also reporting inflows significantly higher than last year's figures. BBMB officials say that coordinated releases from all three major dams are being carefully synchronised to prevent cumulative impact in Punjab's downstream districts. The BBMB and state governments are working in close coordination to manage the release strategy across reservoirs, given that both Sutlej and Beas rivers carry the bulk of released water into Punjab's agrarian belt, where monsoon-fed rivers can cause flash floods within hours. According to a senior BBMB functionary, the board is adopting a "micro-managed discharge approach" where turbines operate at optimum power generation capacity to regulate water levels, spillways are used sparingly and only during inflow surges and partner states receive advance alerts to prepare response teams. "It's a delicate balancing act - managing generation, inflow, reservoir capacity, and downstream safety all at once. One misstep can overwhelm areas already waterlogged by monsoon rains," an official said on condition of anonymity. The BBMB has also announced plans to increase the release of water from the Pong Dam into the Beas starting from 6am on Wednesday in response to steadily rising inflows and reservoir levels. Authorities said that an additional 6,000 cusecs of water will be released every 12 hours, with the total discharge potentially reaching 75,000 cusecs, including both spillway and turbine releases. The decision comes as the Pong reservoir reached 1,383.11 feet on Tuesday - just under seven feet below the danger mark of 1.390 feet. As of 6pm on Tuesday, the inflow into the reservoir was recorded at 72,855 cusecs. The announcement has triggered anxiety among residents in flood-prone areas of Hoshiarpur district, particularly in Mukerian and Dasuya subdivisions, where around 70 villages are vulnerable to rising water levels. Many locals, still recovering from severe flooding in 2023, are preparing for potential evacuations. "People are tense," said a local official. "The memories of 2023 destruction are still fresh, and the rising water has them on edge." Despite the alert, local authorities have urged residents not to panic, noting that the BBMB may adjust or defer the planned release based on changing weather and inflow patterns. Mukerian sub-divisional magistrate Ankur Mahindroo pointed out that inflows have already begun to decline - from 95,277 cusecs on Monday to 66,924 cusecs on Tuesday. "If there is no further rainfall in the catchment area, the reservoir level may stabilize, easing the pressure to release more water into the river," Mahindroo said. District administrations have begun preparing for emergency response, activating flood control teams, and monitoring embankments. Relief shelters are being set up in at-risk villages, and local officials are coordinating with BBMB for regular updates on reservoir status. Authorities have advised people living near the riverbanks to remain alert and follow official advisories. Evacuation protocols are in place if the situation worsens....