Uttarakhand to further coordination, monitor mechanisms during monsoon season
Dehradun, July 8
Uttarakhand Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman on Wednesday directed all major dams and barrages across the state to mandatorily share updated information on reservoir water levels, inflow, outflow and discharge with the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority every day at 8 am and 8 pm, a release said.
The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting chaired by Vinod Kumar Suman at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) at USDMA. He instructed officials from the concerned departments and hydropower projects to further strengthen coordination and monitoring mechanisms during the monsoon season.
Suman directed that whenever water is proposed to be released from any dam or barrage, prior intimation must be provided to the State Emergency Operations Centre as well as the respective district administration. He said the information should include the estimated time the released water would take to reach downstream areas, the expected rise in river water levels and the likely impact on affected regions to enable authorities to issue timely warnings and take precautionary measures to safeguard people living in vulnerable areas, it added.
The Secretary also instructed all hydropower projects to share real-time data from river water level sensors and discharge monitoring systems with USDMA through API integration under the Early Warning System.
He further directed all hydropower projects and dam authorities to expand the network of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Early Warning Systems in their respective areas. Tehri Hydro Power Corporation was specifically asked to increase the number of Automatic Weather Stations in its operational area to 25 to ensure more accurate and comprehensive weather data.
Suman emphasised the need for close coordination between upstream and downstream dams and barrages within the same river basin. He directed all projects to regularly exchange information on water levels, rainfall, discharge and other critical parameters to ensure coordinated action during emergencies.
Additional Chief Executive Officer (Administration) Prakash Chandra directed all projects to conduct regular testing of discharge sirens, warning systems and monitoring sensors to ensure they remain fully operational.
He stressed that the reliability of technical equipment is crucial during the monsoon and that any deficiencies should be rectified without delay, it added.
Joint Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Kumar Punetha instructed officials to ensure advance deployment of essential machinery and equipment in flood-prone and vulnerable areas and directed departments to strengthen drainage systems and complete preparedness measures to prevent waterlogging during heavy rainfall.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This sounds like a sensible plan. I've seen too many news reports about sudden dam water releases catching villages off guard. The 8am/8pm reporting schedule seems basic but it's a good start. My only concern is whether the small hydropower projects have the resources to install all these AWS and monitoring systems quickly.
Good initiative but I hope the coordination between Tehri and other upstream dams is actually enforced. In 2021 we saw what happens when multiple dams release simultaneously - that Uttarakhand flood was devastating. The early warning system expansion to 25 AWS stations near Tehri is definitely needed. Let's see if this translates to action on ground. 🌧️
The emphasis on testing discharge sirens and monitoring sensors is crucial. Too often these systems fail when actually needed because nobody bothered with regular maintenance. Also coordinating upstream-downstream dams in the same basin makes perfect sense - it's basic hydrology but surprisingly neglected until now. Practical move by the disaster management authority.
This is long overdue. Living in Rishikesh, I've seen how sudden water releases from Tehri dam create panic downstream. The API integration for real-time data sharing is a smart tech solution. But I wish they also included requirements for maintaining buffer storage during heavy rain instead of just focusing on warning systems. Prevention is better than just warning.
One suggestion - they should also involve local communities in this monitoring. Village-level disaster management committees could provide ground-level data about river swelling that automated systems might miss. The directive is good but community participation would make it even stronger. Let's hope the drainage system strengthening part also gets attention in hilly areas. 🙏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.