Even as the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) decided to release excess water released from dams in neighbopuring Himachal Pradesh for the next four to five days, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said here on Wednesday that the situation of floods in the state was fully under control.

Following release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong dams, many villages and other areas in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Gurdaspur districts were inundated.

The CM, however, assured that there was no need to panic as the state government was in constant touch with the Himachal government and the BBMB on the issue of the release of excess water from hilly areas.

He said the situation at Pong Dam and Ranjit Sagar Dam was also fully under control.

Mann said special thrust is being laid on ensuring relief in the worst-affected areas of the state so that people do not have to face any inconveniece.

Meanwhile, BBMB secretary Satish Singla said water level in Bhakra and Pong dams stand at 1,677 feet and 1,398 feet, respectively on Wednesday. While Bhakra Dam received inflow of 1.93 lakh cusecs the Pong Dam received over seven lakh cusecs because of rains in its catchment areas in the past few days.

He further said that the release of water from the Pong Dam was raised from 50,000 cusecs to 1.25 lakh cusecs and it was increased from 48,000 cusecs to 60,000 cusecs from the Bhakra Dam in a controlled way following the heavy inflow of water in the reservoirs.

“We have a plan that with the controlled release of water in the next four-five days, we will take it to a safe level so that if any situation of flood arises again in August or September, we should have space for absorbing the excess water in dams to protect the downstream areas,” he said.

The BBMB secretary said the Board had informed the Punjab government at least 24 hours before the opening of the floodgates. He said the BBMB authorities released 1.40 lakh cusecs despite receiving unprecedented inflow of 7.30 lakh cusecs in the Pong Dam.

“Today also, we are releasing 1.40 lakh cusecs of water as we want to attain safe level (in the dam) as soon as possible,” Singla said, adding that 80,000 cusecs of water was presently being discharged from the Bhakra Dam.

The Punjab government had on Monday advised residents of the five districts in the state against going near the Beas river as water will be released from the dams to accommodate future inflows. Residents of the five districts – Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran – have been advised not to go near the river.