FLOOD FREQUENCY MODELLING FOR BEAS BASIN UPTO PANDOH

Abstract

The river Beas is a major tributary of the Indus river system. It drains the central and south central part of Himachal Pradesh before entering the Punjab near Pathankot. The river rises at the foot of small glacier lying on the southern slopes of massive Pir Panjal range near the Rohtang pass at an elevation of 3900 m. The gradient from Rohtang massif to Larji is very steep and in this portion river encounters many falls. River Parvati, river Tirthan, river Sainj, Bakhli khad, Sabri nala etc. are some important tributaries of river Beas up to Pandoh. River Beas and its tributaries have very good potential of power generation, irrigation, tourism etc., but these could not be capitalized till now. The region is not developed because of highly undulating topography and extreme climatic conditions. Recently, a 2051 MW hydel project on River Parvati in Kullu district has been started which is the biggest project in its own kind in Asia and will be completed in three stages at a cost of Rs. 125000 Crores. The Beas basin is frequently affected by the flash floods in the main river and its tributaries. These floods cause loss of life and properties every year. From the strategic point of view, this region is very important. This region is having borders with neighboring countries and a highway is being planned to be laid down to connect Srinagar from the rest of country.