Sharda level rises 10 times in one day; power stations shut

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 27

Vehicular traffic across the Banbasa bridge on the Sharda river was suspended and a red alert was sounded at the Sharda barrage at Banbasa and the Sharda Chungi colony at Tanakpur. The water level in the Sharda increased 10 times compared to its normal flow on Friday and reached 2,79,780 cusecs Saturday morning.

“The water level in the river, which was 26,000 cusecs on Thursday, a day before rains lashed hills and plains in the Kumaon region continuously for 24 hours, started rising on Friday morning and reached 2,25,284 cusecs by noon. The maximum water level was around 2,80,000 cusecs this morning. We had to block water flow to the Sharda canal, resulting in the closure of power stations at Banbasa and Lohiahead,” said BS Yadav, in charge of Sharda headworks.

Yadav said water would be released into the canal when the river carries clear water, as silt blocks the power channel. “We are waiting for fresh water to flow from basin areas of the hill region where rains have stopped for now. It takes water nearly nine hours to reach the Banbasa power station from hills,” he added.

In Tanakpur, the district administration shifted some families residing at the Chungi colony to safer places after the water level in the river crossed the danger mark. “The District Magistrate has inspected Sharda check dams and ordered reconstruction of some of these that have developed cracks at several places,” said Naresh Durgapal, SDM, Tanakpur.

According to reports received from Bageshwar district, several villages in the upper reaches of the Danpur area in Kapkot are cut off as the road linking these with Bageshwar town was blocked at Gansu due to 77 mm heavy rains last evening.