CHANDIGARH: Days will be a little harsher in Punjab and Haryana this summer as their share in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) run power houses has dropped by cumulative 150 MW. The cut in power share happened after BBMB implemented the Supreme Court directions to allocate 7.19% share to Himachal Pradesh in electricity generated at all its projects. The hill state had been demanding its due share in these projects, in accordance with the Punjab Re-organisation Act, for the last 45 years.

In a new initiative, residents here have demanded that Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) should set up a small dam downstream on the Beas to revive “local ecology and ancient bathing ghats which had been destroyed by the silt ejected by the 990-MW Beas project since June 1977 when the project was commissioned”.

Sundernagar: KK Ohja, Additional General Manager (AGM), Kol Dam Hydropower project, said with the kind cooperation of the state government and residents living in the vicinity of 800-MW Kol Dam, the project work would be completed by 2013. He said majority of the project works was likely to be completed soon, the work of the dam would be completed by the end of this year and next year the generation would be started.

The Planning Commission on Thursday cleared the investment proposal for modernisation of Haryana’s irrigation network. The project, estimated to cost Rs 115.94 crore (2011 price level), will undertake rehabilitation, renovation and modernisation of critically damaged channels of the State’s irrigation network, a Plan panel release said.

Dharamsala: After getting a share of 7.19 per cent in power generated by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on account of areas of Punjab merged with Himachal, the state will now also claim its share in water. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said this while talking to The Tribune here today.

He said Himachal had been claiming its share of 7.19 per cent in all assets of the BBMB though the court had at present just awarded it a share in power.

This year, the Pong dam has seen the highest ever inflow of water in the month of August, recorded in the last 30 years. Besides, the water level has also risen to 12 feet in just two days — it had happened for the first time in the history of the dam. The inflow was the result of heavy rainfall in the catchment area of the reservoir, said authorities.

Hussainiwala : Hundreds of cusecs of water are being pushed to Pakistan from this barrage, located at a few yards from the Radcliffe Line demarcating the Indo-Pak border, by the state Irrigation and Drainage Department authorities to maintain the level of the Hussainiwala pond.

Official sources said that about 1,800 cusecs of water were released to Pakistan today by the authorities despite the

Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan has passed an order asking all original Bhakra Dam oustees and their successors to file applications on a prescribed form, giving details of the government land encroached upon by them in Bilaspur by June 20.

This has been necessitated due to the High Court order of October 19, which has asked the state government to come to the court with a

Jalandhar: There is good news for farmers of Punjab and also adjoining states. The level of water in the Gobind Sagar reservoir at the Bhakra Dam and the Pong Dam is much higher this year compared to the corresponding period last year.

This will not only ensure uninterrupted supply of water for irrigation, but also adequate power.