The three major reservoirs of the region — Pong on the Beas, Ranjit Sagar on the Ravi, and Bhakra on the Sutlej — have already neared or crossed their critical thresholds (water levels) even as more than a month of monsoon is still left.The three swelling rivers and their rivulets have inundated the catchment areas and the Punjab government has already evacuated 7,689 people making it one of the worst floods that the state has seen in the recent years.Even as teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, and Border Security Forces are on the ground conducting search and rescue operations, a fresh Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Punjab for next 3-4 days coupled with the high water levels in the dam have become a cause of concern.The Pong Dam has already crossed its threshold level of 1,390 feet, reaching over 1,393 feet on August 26. By Friday (August 29), the level came down to 1,391.39 feet, but the inflow was still quite high at 64,682 cusecs.Also Read | Punjab: CM Mann asks Chief Secretary to personally visit flood affected areasThe Ranjit Sagar Dam touched its maximum level of 527.91 metres on Tuesday, but by Friday the level came down to 524.80 metres. While the inflow was 33,437 cusecs, the outflow was 51,650 cusecs. Waters of the dam played havoc in villages of the Majha region this year.The Bhakra Dam, meanwhile, has remained almost stable since Tuesday, standing at 1,671.96 feet, around eight feet below its permissible level of 1,680 feet. However, inflows rose sharply on Friday — from 49,541 cusecs in the morning to 72,868 cusecs in the afternoon. Outflows also increased from 37,592 cusecs in the morning to 54,200 cusecs by afternoon.According to Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) officials, reservoirs are usually filled to their permissible limits by the end of September, when the monsoon officially ends. This year, however, heavy rains in the catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh have filled the dams almost a month in advance. Now, any additional rainfall will have to be released downstream through these dams. Officials caution that if Punjab also receives heavy showers simultaneously, the combined flows could worsen flooding in the already inundated seven districts of the state and possibly extend it further.Story continues below this adThe worst-affected villages are in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts, while heavy rain triggered a flood alert in Patiala on Friday.Also Read | 20 Army helicopters stationed in Punjab to relocate flood affected peopleThe IMD has forecast heavy rain in parts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on September 1. The situation is compounded by the Ghaggar river, which originates in Himachal and flows through Haryana and Punjab. It has already touched the danger mark on Friday, with about 70,000 cusecs released. This raises concerns for Mohali, Patiala, Sangrur, and Mansa districts, which lie along its path.According to the IMD, Punjab may see heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on August 30 and heavy rain till September 1, while Haryana is also expected to get rain the same day. Any fresh spell will add to the already high flows in the Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers, intensifying flood threats downstream.“This year’s August levels are among the highest ever recorded before the end of the rainy season. It underlines the dynamic nature of these reservoirs and the challenges of water management in the face of unpredictable rainfall,” said a senior BBMB officer, adding that with Pong already breaching the safety mark, Ranjit Sagar brushing against its danger line, and Bhakra just a few feet below its red mark, the coming weeks promise sleepless nights for officials—and for thousands of residents downstream.Story continues below this adRajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Balbir Seechewal also expressed concerns about the increased water flow in rivers due to the filling of dams followed by heavy rainfall. With a month of the rainy season remaining, he said that there is a need to prepare for potential flooding and ensuring safety of people in vulnerable areas.Also Read | Heavy rainfall alert issued in Panchkula: Administration advises cautionHe called for the immediate repair and strengthening of the Dhussi Bandh, which had weakened due to the recent heavy rains. Seechewal also urged the Centre to release funds to support flood relief efforts. He added that a proactive approach is needed from the administration, the drainage department, the government and people in the current situation.Ranjit Sagar, one of the highest earthen dams in the country, was commissioned in 2000 and its reservoir has a capacity of 540 meters and the maximum limit is 527.91 meters. Before this season it had witnessed highest level in August 2018 when the dam reached to 526.29 meters.The Pong Dam, an earth-core gravel shell structure commissioned in 1974, has a maximum reservoir level of 1,421 feet, but its critical threshold is 1,390 feet. The only time in August that Pong crossed dangerously high levels before 2023 was when it touched 1,399.65 feet on August 15, 2023. Other notable August highs include 1,394.65 feet on August 29, 1992, 1,391 feet on August 24, 1979, and 1,391.98 feet on August 25, 1994.Story continues below this adMost extreme levels in Pong’s history occurred in September, when dam authorities aim to fill the reservoir by the end of rainy season to ensure irrigation supplies through the winter months. The dam has crossed the 1,400-foot limit only three times — 1,405 feet on September 21, 1978, 1,404.23 feet on September 25, 1988 and 1,403.20 feet on October 6, 1977. Other significant highs include 1,397.49 feet in September 1995 and 1,396.27 feet in September 1986.Also Read | Rainfall surges across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh in the last 3 days; several districts wipe out rainfall deficit for the seasonConversely, the dam has also seen extremely low monsoon-ending levels, including 1,329.71 feet in 1987, 1,339.48 feet in 2009, and 1,339.98 feet in 2002.The Bhakra Dam, operational since 1963, has a maximum level of 1,690 feet and a normal operating level of 1,680 feet. Like Pong, Bhakra typically nears its upper band at the end of the monsoon. August exceptions include 1,680.28 feet on August 31, 1982, and 1,680.82 feet on August 20, 2019—rare occurrences so early in the season.The dam’s highest-ever surge came on September 13, 1988, when it touched 1,687.55 feet, triggering catastrophic floods in the last week of September. Other near-danger levels include 1,687.36 feet in September 1975, 1,686.01 feet in September 1983, and 1,685.96 feet in September 1978. In August 2023, Bhakra’s level reached 1,677 feet, among the highest recorded so early in the season.Story continues below this adBhakra has seen unusually low monsoon-ending levels, such as 1,600.82 feet in 2004, 1,628.84 feet in 1993, and 1,640.42 feet in 2009.