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In light of the recent flooding in Himachal Pradesh, state revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi shockingly acknowledged that the majority of the state's 135 dams lack flood warning systems.
Negi said they should make sure the management of these dams, including run-of-the-river projects, installs the flood warning system to notify citizens downstream in a letter to all 12 deputy commissioners of the state on Thursday.
The DCs must meet with the dam officials to establish flood warning systems, according to a directive from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The safety of dams is meant to be audited by the state directorate of energy, but this hasn't happened in the previous four years, according to Negi.
Dams unexpectedly opened their floodgates lately when the rivers were in spate, according to SDMA director DC Rana. This caused havoc along embankments, particularly in Manali, by doubling the volume of rivers, particularly the Beas and its tributaries.
"The Larji dam authorities opened their floodgates in Mandi, while the 190 MW hydel project did the same in Manali. People on the ground informed us that when their gates were opened, the flood-controlling dams did the exact opposite of what they were intended to do, Rana added.
On July 9, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which oversees Pandoh Dam, opened its floodgates in response to the Beas River's increased flow, flooding Pandoh Bazaar. The 1923 riverside bridge was also destroyed by the floodwaters.
