Following rainfall in the city and the nearby areas over the last several days, the flood gate of Sukhna Lake was opened as a precautionary measure on Monday for around an hour after its water level reached danger mark.
UT officials said that one of the three floodgates of Sukhna Lake was opened at 11.30 am after its water level reached 1162.5 feet, just 7 inches below the danger mark of 1,163 feet. The villages falling near Sukhna Lake have been alerted. After floodgates were opened, the Sukhna Choe carried the excess water of the lake to the Gaggar river. The gate was shut at 12.45 pm and now, the water level has come down to 1161.8 feet, officials said.
UT Chief Engineer CB Ojha said that in the danger area, officials have been put on alert and the situation is being monitored. Water level in Sukhna Lake on Sunday evening had reached 1,162. 3 feet, 9 inches below the danger mark, due to the rain in the catchment area of the lake. On August 2, the water level of the lake had reached 1,161.4 feet, 1.8 feet below the danger mark. On July 28, the water level in the lake was recorded at 1,159. 9 feet.
“Instructions have been given to officials of the Engineering Department to keep a watch on Sukhna Lake so that no flood-like situation arises in or around the city,” he added.
Sources in the Engineering Department said that the two floodgates had to be opened in August last year after the water level of the lake reached the danger mark. Before this, on September 24, 2018, incessant rain in the catchment area had forced officials to open two flood gates of the lake. At that time, the gates were opened after a gap of 10 years.