Chandigarh, Dec. 5 -- Sixty-two years after the Bhakra Dam was dedicated to the nation in 1963, the iconic structure is preparing for its first-ever desilting operation amid reports of alarming sedimentation that has reduced the storage capacity of the reservoir, Gobind Sagar, by one-fourth.

The Himachal Pradesh government has given in-principle approval to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) proposal to begin de-silting of the Sutlej River at Bilaspur, upstream of the dam, and is part of the reservoir's jurisdiction. The Union jal shakti ministry has also formed a 10-member committee to oversee the process.

"The Himachal Pradesh government has given a green signal in principle to BBMB's proposal to allow de-silting," an official sa...