The water gates of Sukhna Lake were opened on Monday after a decade as the water level crossed over the danger mark due to the heavy rain in the catchment area.
It is after 10 years that the water level in the reservoir has reached its highest level mark of 1,163 feet. An official spokesperson said the Engineering Department is constantly watching the water level and once it decreases, the gates are likely to be closed again tonight. The Chandigarh Administration had issued a warning -cum-advisory before opening the gates. The Disaster Management team has also been asked to remain on vigil and monitor the situation constantly.
Keeping in view the prevailing weather conditions, a review meeting was called by the Union Territory’s home secretary which was attended by senior officials of various departments.
A detailed review was done regarding the precautionary measures taken by the various departments to keep track of the situation. The Engineering Department of Administration and Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh was given directions to tackle the problem of potholes, water logging and trees that have fallen on an urgent basis.
The Police Department was instructed to deploy more police personnel to regulate traffic lights and manage high volume of traffic during peak hours and heavy rains.
The spokesperson said as per the weather forecast by the National Weather Forecasting Centre, there will be a significant reduction in rainfall from Tuesday onwards in Chandigarh.