India, Aug. 19 -- Following heavy rainfall in the Himachal Pradesh catchment areas, water levels at the Pong Dam have risen sharply, reaching a record high of 1382.54 feet, just seven feet below the dam's maximum capacity of 1,390 feet.

This surge has caused widespread flooding in the low-lying regions of Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts, where floodwaters have inundated large areas of agricultural land and triggered evacuations.

The continuous release of water from the Pong Dam has impacted over 40 villages situated along the Beas. Several flood-prone areas in the Mand region are submerged under 5-6 feet of water. Many farmers are facing catastrophic losses, as their paddy crops remain submerged for over a week.

Sarwan Singh, a far...