Alert sounded as Himachal’s Malana dam gate malfunction triggers water overflow
In view of the accumulation of water and silt in the Malana dam, precautionary measure are being taken and villages between Bhuntar and Jari are being evacuated
Panic gripped the historic village of Malana when water from the 86-megawatt dam built on the namesake rivulet, a tributary of the Parvati river, spilled over due to the malfunctioning of all four gates.
An alert was sounded as the flooding raised the water level in Parvati, a tributary of Beas.
Sharing details, sub-divisional magistrate Kullu Vikas Shukla said, “There is no immediate threat to humans, as there is no habitation downstream the dam, but certainly people have agricultural lands close to the embankment of the river. We have sounded an alert.”
He added that the in view of the accumulation of water and silt in the dam, precautionary measure are being taken and villages between Bhuntar and Jari are being evacuated.
Gram panchayat Pradhan Raju Ram elaborated, saying, “The flooding snapped off-road connectivity to Jarhi which is the main shopping centre for the villagers of Malana situated seven kilometres away from the village. Due to continuous rain spells the villagers have started having ration shortages.”
Locals promptly notified the authorities about the alarming situation, prompting swift action from the Kullu administration.
As a precautionary measure, the administration has begun evacuating villages located along the banks of the Parvati. Authorities are also appealing to residents in the vicinity of the Beas River, towards Kullu and Mandi, to stay away from the bank.
Kullu deputy commissioner Ashutosh Garg has instructed the dam management to take all necessary precautions to prevent further escalation of the crisis. The priority at this critical moment is to prioritise the safety and security of human life and property.
The Malana Dam, though relatively small, presents a significant threat to the region due to its high altitude.
No respite from rain in next five days: IMD
Even as Himachal Pradesh continues to reel from relentless monsoon showers, weathermen have issued a fresh weather warning for the hill-state.
As per the weather forecast, no relief from rainfall is expected over the next five days.
Indian Meteorological Department’s Shimla centre director Surender Paul said the monsoon trough now passes through Dessa, Indore, Damoh, Pendra Road, Gopalpur and thence east-southeastwards to East-Central Bay of Bengal and extending up to 1.5 km above mean sea level will continue to bring rainfall in the state.
A yellow alert has been sounded for heavy rains and thunderstorms on July 25 and orange alert for July 26 and 27.
Heavy rainfall may trigger landslides, flash floods, mudslides and increase runoff in rivers and nullah. It is also likely to cause poor visibility and may disrupt essential services like water, power and communication besides damage to electricity to standing crops, fruit plants and young seedlings.
Paul said the state received light to moderate rainfall since Sunday, with Dhaulakuan in Sirmaur getting 49 mm rainfall, Pachhad 25.3 mm, Nahan 23.4 mm, Solan 22.4 mm Kasauli 22 mm, Palampur and Chaupal 17 mm each, Dharmshala 14.5 and Bhoranj 12.4 mm.
More than 600 roads including four national highways are still blocked for traffic while 359 electricity transformers and 324 water supply schemes remain affected. Sixty-six incidents of landslides and 48 flash flood incidents have been reported across the state since the onset of monsoon on June 24.
As many as 158 people have died in rain related incidents while the monetary losses have mounted to ₹5,115.83 crore and still counting. Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department losses are pegged at ₹1,666.58 crore, State Electricity Board ₹1,482.72 crore and Jal Shakti Vibhag ₹1,475.59 crore.
