New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alert warnings for several districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, north Punjab, north Haryana, east Rajasthan, southwest Uttar Pradesh, northwest and east Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha amid heavy rains across multiple states.
According to the updated forecast, moderate to heavy rainfall is likely in these regions over the next three hours, posing risks of flash floods, landslides and waterlogging.
The flood situation in Punjab has worsened following heavy release of water from the Bhakra and Pong dams. On Wednesday, the district administration in Punjab’s Rupnagar asked locals living near the Sutlej river to remain alert as large quantities of water were discharged from Bhakra dam due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh’s catchment areas.
At 6 am, the water level in Bhakra dam was recorded at 1,677.84 feet, close to its maximum capacity of 1,680 feet. The inflow was 86,822 cusecs while the outflow stood at 65,042 cusecs. Officials said the discharge is being increased from 65,000 cusecs to 75,000 cusecs, which may affect villages in the Nangal area.
Meanwhile, the Patiala district administration has issued an alert for residents of villages near the Ghaggar river in Rajpura subdivision, while the SAS Nagar (Mohali) administration has also urged people living along the Ghaggar riverbanks to remain cautious.
