Chandigarh, Aug 21, 2025 – Incessant heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh have led to alarming rise in water levels in the Pong and Bhakra dams, inundating river basins of Punjab with massive inundation, prompting Punjab to issue a high flood alert. In response, the Punjab government has immediately deployed its disaster response teams and cabinet ministers to flood-affected districts.
Controlled water release from dams raises concerns
According to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), water is being released in a controlled manner to prevent the dam from overflowing. The Pong dam has been releasing water for nearly a week, while the Bhakra dam started releasing water in a controlled manner two days ago.
Officials have confirmed that after an inflow of nearly 1 lakh cusecs on Wednesday, 75,000 cusecs of water will be released from the Pong dam from Thursday. Similarly, the water level in Bhakra dam was recorded at 1666.32 feet, prompting more water to be released into Sutlej.
Several villages in Sultanpur Lodhi, Tanda, Nangal, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Tarn Taran have already been inundated due to the release of water, raising apprehensions of massive flooding in the plains of Punjab.
Himachal requests release of more water
During an emergency meeting of the BBMB on Wednesday evening, representatives of the Himachal Pradesh government requested not to curtail the release of water into the Beas river, citing the threat of floods in their state.
Punjab Govt Deploys Ministers to Flood Zones
Taking stock of the worsening situation, the Punjab government dispatched cabinet ministers to oversee flood relief and rescue operations in the worst-hit areas.
- Barinder Kumar Goyal has been sent to review the situation in Ferozepur and Tarn Taran.
- Hardeep Mundian is monitoring Sultanpur Lodhi.
- Laljit Bhullar is distributing relief materials in Patti.
- Dr. Balbir Singh is holding strategic meetings with district officials and IMA office-bearers in Kapurthala.
Flood Preparedness and Relief Operations
Relief measures including sandbag filling, evacuation assistance and medical aid have been initiated in vulnerable areas. The state government has directed the local administration to remain alert round the clock as water is continuously coming in from Himachal Pradesh.
The authorities have also advised residents living in low-lying areas and riverside areas to immediately move to safer areas.
With monsoon rains showing no signs of abating and the inflow of water into dams continuously rising, the situation in Punjab remains alarming. The next 48 hours will be crucial in assessing the flood situation and damage across the state.