Below normal monsoon may hit Bhakra and RSD reservoirs

Vinod Gupta

Jun 28, 2026 - 17:58

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Below normal monsoon may hit Bhakra and RSD reservoirs

CHANDIGARH: The reservoir levels in Bhakra and Ranjit Sagar are lower as compared to last year and are good for normal monsoon predictions but a poor monsoon by 30 % may impact the filling process in coming months.

The water level in Bhakra reservoir is 1559.06 feet down by 8.27 feet from last year's level of 1567.33 feet after release of extra water to states and lesser inflow . The inflow in Bhakra is 22137 cusecs sharply reduced against last year's inflow of 43633 cusecs due to delayed monsoon and lesser snow melting.

As per extra water demand by Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan , the same is being released by BBMB till June end. The lower reservoir level may have created additional storage capacity for inflows in the upcoming monsoon season, but the monsoon has not hit the region and is already late by a few days. Moreover this year the rainfall expected is less by 30 to 40% and there may not be the possibility of floods as happened last year.

On June 9 this year BBMB authorities asked partner states to increase their water withdrawal for irrigation in the ongoing paddy season in view of higher storage levels in reservoirs. The water level on June 9 was 1578.07 feet which was 21.47 feet above last year's level of 1556.60 feet.

At Ranjit Sagar Dam the water level is 1653.5 feet meters lesser by 4.5 feet against last year's level of 1658 feet . The inflow is 2006 cusecs while it was 40207 cusecs last year. At Pong Dam the water level is 1319 feet against last year level of 1294.8 feet.at pong inflow is 5723 cusecs against last year ‘s 40207 cusecs

As per latest weekly reservoir level and storage bulletin of central water commission (CWC) , reservoir live storage capacity at Bhakra is 21.84 % against average of 24.55 % . At Ranjit Sagar Dam it is 35.9% against an average of 42.3%. The live storage during the current year is lesser than the corresponding period of last year and is also lesser than the average storage of the last ten years during the corresponding period.