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 said on condition of anonymity, adding that the Sukhu-led Congress government will take up the matter in the Vidhan Sabha for approval of the house. According to the proposal, Himachal Pradesh will receive its standard royalty from sand mining, while BBMB will retain any additional revenue. "If sand is sold at Rs.100, the state gets its royalty-say Rs.65-and the remaining Rs.35 goes to BBMB," an official explained. "This will boost income for HP, BBMB, and partner states while addressing the siltation challenge." BBMB has identified a site at Bilaspur because here water levels remain low for 8-9 months each year, as the most feasible point for excavation. The site sits along an NHAI corridor, enabling easy loading and transportation of extracted sediment across North India. Authorities have also requested NHAI to use the material for road embankments and earth filling to reduce construction costs. Gobind Sagar Lake, the Bhakra reservoir spread over 88 sq km across Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Una districts, has seen its original capacity of 7.4 billion cubic metres shrink drastically. Officials estimate the current capacity at around 6 lakh billion cubic metres-pointing to severe loss of live storage. The reservoir was designed to handle 33.61 million cubic meters of silt annually. Today, due to deforestation, rapid construction, road-widening projects, and natural erosion in the Sutlej catchment, the inflow has surged to 39.01 million cubic meters per year. Experts say nearly 26% of the reservoir has already filled with silt. Although sediment remains 10 km from the dam, the advancing deposits are steadily eroding the structure's water-holding capacity. Experts link the escalation of silt inflow to intensified activity in the region. "Construction of the Kol Dam between 2003 and 2015, extensive road four-laning from 2018 to 2022, and earlier PMGSY projects significantly disturbed the catchment," a technical expert noted, pleading anonymity. If approved, BBMB plans to execute the desilting as a one-year pilot project. The upcoming desilting will help restore the reservoir's operational life, ensuring hydropower generation and reinforcing flood management for millions who depend on the Bhakra Dam, the expert added....