It has been first time in 15 years, when the Sukhna Lake floodgates are opened 9th in this season. The Chandigarh Administration lifted two of the three gates on Wednesday after the water level rose above the danger mark of 1,163 feet due to heavy rain in the catchment area. According to officials, excess water is being released into the Ghaggar River through the Sukhna Choe.
Sukhna Lake floodgates opened 9th time
The first gate was opened around 7:30 am, followed by the second at 8 am. Both gates lifted by three inches. This marks the 9th opening of the floodgates this season, following operations on September 1, August 6, 8, 15, 17, 19, 29, and 30. On September 1, one gate closed around 3 pm, while the other remained open for nearly 21 hours before closing at 4 am the next day.
The Chandigarh Union Territory’s Engineering Department has staff around the clock at the lake’s regulatory end. They set up CCTV surveillance and a control room to coordinate with the district administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula. The traffic police and local authorities were also notified before each release.
63.6mm rainfall observe in city, 71mm at airport
The Sukhna Lake gates opened only four times in 2023, six times in 2022, and five times in 2021. A major flooding incident occurred in August 2020 when two gates opened, flooding low-lying areas of Zirakpur. Before September 2018, the gates not operated for a decade.
Meanwhile, Chandigarh experienced heavy rain in the past 24 hours. The Meteorological Centre recorded 63.6 mm of rainfall in the city and 71 mm at the airport until 8:30 am on Wednesday. The minimum temperature in Chandigarh recorded at 21.6 degrees Celsius, which is 3.7 degrees below normal. The continuous rain has also caused waterlogging in several parts of the tricity, leading to traffic jams during the morning hours.
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