Hoshiarpur, April 6 The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has installed an early warning system (EWS) along the Beas River in Punjab to ensure that people living along the riverbanks receive timely alerts in case of the release of excess water from the Pong dam, officials said on Monday.
The system was inaugurated online by BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi.
Under this initiative, six early warning system units have been installed along a nearly 50-km stretch from the 52 Gate Barrage to Mirthal, covering key locations including Pekhan, Sansarpur Terrace, the right side of Shah Barrage, Riali (Fatehpur), Bela Sariyana (Mukerian), Parol (Indora) and near Arni University, Indora.
The officials said the system has been set up near populated areas to enable quick dissemination of alerts, allowing residents to move away from the riverbed in time.
Tripathi said that earlier, teams had to rely on physical visits to villages and public address systems to warn people during emergency situations involving water release from the Pong dam, which often led to delays.
"With the installation of this system, alerts will now be transmitted instantly, reducing the risk of accidents," he said, adding that the project has been implemented in the public interest.
Chief Engineer, Beas Dam, Rakesh Gupta, said the EWS units have been strategically placed to cover vulnerable stretches of the river and improve response time during emergencies.