Patiala, Aug. 8 -- The district remains on high alert after the water level in the Ghaggar river rose sharply on Thursday morning, inching closer to the danger mark. According to the drainage department, the river was flowing at 14 feet, just two feet below the critical danger level of 16 feet. DC Preeti Yadav, however, assured that the situation is under control and there is no cause for panic. She said that the administration had been closely monitoring the river's flow and had already issued an alert on Wednesday based on upstream water levels in Chandigarh and Bhankarpur. District officials have attributed the rise in water level to a heavy rainfall in upstream areas, particularly Chandigarh and Dera Bassi, which led to an abrupt spike in the water level to 10 feet in the Chandigarh region on Wednesday. "The water level at Bhankarpur/Chandigarh site has dropped to just 2 feet in the past 12 hours, and no rainfall has been reported in the Ghaggar catchment area during the same period," said Yadav Following reports of submergence of around 20,000 acres of land due to incessant rainfall in Fazilka district, the Punjab government has ordered a special girdawari (assessment) to evaluate the extent of damage to agricultural fields and residential properties. DC Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu confirmed that directions had been issued to all sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) to carry out the assessment work at the earliest. Authorities on Thursday released 40,000 cusecs of water from the Pong Dam in Talwara in the wake of a surge in water inflow triggered by heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the Beas river, an official said. According to dam officials, the release included 28,000 cusecs discharged through spillway gates and powerhouse tunnels, while an additional 11,500 cusecs was diverted from the Shah Nehar Barrage. The water level in the Pong reservoir currently stands at 1,375 feet against its maximum capacity of 1,390 feet....