Water release: Mandi’s Pandoh dam authorities ‘flouting’ order.

February 7, 2023

Less than 15 per cent water release from the Pandoh dam and reservoir of power project at Barot has irked the environmentalists, who are concerned about the conservation of nature in the district.
Impacting ecology
The dam authorities at Pandoh and Barot in Mandi district are constantly flouting the order of the NGT.
As per the NGT order, it is a must for dam authorities to release at least 15% water from its reservoirs regularly in stream to maintain the e-flow. Less water release adversely impacts nature and aquatic life.
- Environmental flow (e-flow) describes the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and wellbeing that depend on these ecosystems.
The environmentalists have requested the dam authorities to release water on many occasions, but their requests have gone unheeded. The environmentalists have also requested the HP Pollution Control Board to take action against the dam authorities.
Unfortunately, the board also did not take any action.