Himachal Pradesh has issued a flood alert due to continuous heavy rains, but there’s a silver lining — the increased flow of water into the dams is expected to boost power generation and provide more water for irrigation in the coming days.

By the end of June, heavy rainfall in the state caused the upper areas of the Sutlej and Beas rivers to swell, raising water levels in the Bhakra and Pong dams by 15 feet.

Rainfall in both Himachal Pradesh and Punjab has been over 25% higher than usual this June. This surplus rain has led to more water flowing into major reservoirs like the Bhakra and Pong dams, which are fed by the Beas and Sutlej rivers.

According to a senior official from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, “The increased water flow will help generate more electricity and provide extra water for irrigation in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan during the summer.”

The water storage season for Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams runs from June 21 to September 20. Their water levels depend on how much it rains in the catchment areas of the Beas, Sutlej, and Ravi rivers.

Former chief engineer V.K. Gupta emphasized that these dams play a critical role in the region’s irrigation and power needs. Together, they support irrigation over 10.24 million hectares of land and have a combined hydropower capacity of 2,375 megawatts.