Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 Jul: All major dams and barrages in the state must provide updated information regarding their reservoir water levels, inflows, outflows, and discharges to the USDMA every day at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Following the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, during a high-level review meeting held at the State Emergency Operations Centre at the USDMA on Wednesday, directed officials of the relevant departments and hydropower projects to ensure better coordination and further strengthen monitoring during the monsoon season.
He clearly instructed that, if any water release is proposed from any dam or barrage, prior notification must be provided to the State Emergency Operations Centre and the relevant district administration. The information should also include the time required for the release of water to reach which areas, the expected rise in river water levels in downstream areas, and the potential impacts. This information should also include timely alerts to vulnerable areas and necessary precautionary measures.
Secretary Suman directed all projects to share data from river water level sensors and discharge monitoring systems installed under the early warning system with the USDMA in real time via API. At the meeting, all hydropower projects and dam managements were instructed to expand the automatic weather stations and early warning systems installed in their respective areas. He specifically directed the Tehri Hydro Power Corporation to increase the number of automatic weather stations in its area to 25 to ensure more accurate and comprehensive weather data availability.
He stated that better coordination between upstream and downstream dams and barrages located in the same river system is essential. All projects should regularly exchange information on water levels, rainfall, discharge, and other critical information, ensuring coordinated and effective response in case of any emergency.
At the meeting, Additional Chief Executive Officer (Administration), Prakash Chandra, stated that the discharge sirens, warning devices, and various sensors installed at all projects should be regularly tested to ensure they function at full capacity when needed. He said that the functionality of technical equipment is crucial during the monsoon season, so any technical deficiencies should be addressed immediately.
Joint Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Kumar Punetha, said that advance deployment of necessary machinery and equipment should be ensured in flood-prone and sensitive areas. Effective drainage systems should be made, and all such arrangements should be prepared in advance so that waterlogging does not occur in populated areas during heavy rains.
Additional Chief Executive Officer-Administration Prakash Chandra, Joint Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Kumar Punetha, officials of Irrigation Department, UJVNL, Central Water Commission, Tehri Hydro Power Corporation, NTPC Joshimath, NHPC Tanakpur and Dhauliganga, GVK Alaknanda Project, JP Group Vishnuprayag and Meteorological Centre Dehradun participated in the meeting.
