(Feature Image: Screenshot of inactive hydrograph for Solang station on Beas river in Mandi district. Source: CWC Flood Forecast website)
Despite disastrous flood events causing significant destruction to human lives and infrastructures for past three years, the state of Himachal Pradesh has not seen much required improvements in flood monitoring and forecast servicesby the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) to help minimize the destruction toll.
In 2022 analysis, SANDRP had listed up all the flood monitoring stations set up in the state by the CWC highlighting the key problems. Three years later, SANDRP is again reviewing the list emphasizingon the basic and persisting issues. The river basin wise list of all of the CWC’s flood monitoring stations is given in table below.
Satluj Basin: List of flood monitoring stations as on July 06, 2025
| SN | Station/ District | River/ Basin | RL 0 Gauge | Old HFL/ Date | New HFL/ Date |
| 1 | Khab/ Kinnaur | Satluj/ Indus | 2520.6 m | 2530.1 m 03.08.2017 | No Change |
| 2 | Titang/ Kinnaur | Satluj/ Indus | 2449 m | 2460 m 03.08.2005 | 2456.74 m 07.08.2010 |
| 3 | Moorang/ Kinnaur | Satluj/ Indus | 2264 m | 2272.3 m 09.08.2018 | 2272.5 m 09.08.2018 |
| 4 | Nathpa/ Kinnaur | Satluj/ Indus | 1434 m | 1451 m 26.06.2005 | No Change |
| 5 | Pandoa/ Shimla | Satluj/ Indus | 672 m | 740.6 03.08.2005 | 689.6 m 07.08.2010 |
| 6 | Rampur-1/ Shimla | Satluj/ Indus | 909 m | 933 m 03.08.2005 | 924.5 m 09.07.2023 |
| 7 | Hansa/ Lahul &Spiti | Spiti/ Satluj | 3922.48 m | 3924.5 m 15.08.2017 | 3925.04 m 08.06.2020 |
| 8 | Shalkhar/ Kinnaur | Spiti/ Satluj | 2973 m | 2983.78 m 14.07.2017 | 2978.96 10.07.2019 |
| 9 | Ropa/ Kinnaur | Ropa khad/ Satluj | 3044 m | 3048.28 m 17.07.2019 | 3050.85 m 10.07.2023 |
| 10 | Gulling/ Lahul &Spiti | Pin/ Spiti | 3577.44 m | 3580.34 m 10.07.2023 | 3580.72 m 28.07.2024 |
| 3580.27 m 01.08.2019 | 3580.64 m 29.06.2024 | ||||
| 11 | Sangla/ Kinnaur | Baspa/ Satluj | 2507 m | 2515.2 m 31.07.2017 | 2511.5 m 10.07.2023 |
| 12 | Ghaluwal/ Una | Swan/ Satluj | 361 m | 366.8 m 09.08.2015 | 367 m 03.06.2017 |
Comments: There are 12 flood monitoring stations in Satluj river basin. Of which 6 are located on main stem of Satluj and 6 others on its tributaries: 2 stations on Spiti river and 1 each on Pin, Ropa Khad, Baspa and Swan rivers. Of these 7 stations are in Kinnaur district, 2 each in Shimla and Lahul &Spiti districts and 1 station in Una district.
The data in the table shows lack of consistency in maintaining Highest Flood Level (HFL) records by the CWC in the state. The HFLs attained in August 2005 at Titang, Pandoa and Rampur 1 stations are higher than the new HFLs mentioned on the CWC flood forecast webStation.
Similarly, while the Shalkhar and Sangla stations had attained higher HFL in 2017, the CWC webStation wrongly shows the peak attained in 2019 and 2023 at these Stations as the HFL.
The CWC has also not updated 2017 HFL attained at Ghaluwal station on Swan river and wrongly shows 2015 flood level as the HFL.
CWC has still not established any inflow forecast and level forecast station in the Satluj basin in HP.
Beas Basin: List of flood monitoring stations as on July 06, 2025
| SN | Station/ District | River/ Basin | RL 0 Gauge | Old HFL/ Date | Old HFL/ Date |
| 1 | Solang/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus | NA | NA | NA |
| 2 | Manali/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus | 1878 m | NA | NA |
| 3 | Kullu/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus | 1171 m | NA | NA |
| 4 | Bajaura/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus | 1053 m | NA | NA |
| 5 | ChharourNalla/ Kullu | Parvati/ Beas | 1143 m | NA | NA |
| 6 | Barot/ Mandi | Uhl/ Beas | 1818 m | 1832.68 30.08.2016 | 1826.72 m 22.09.2018 |
| 7 | Bagla/ Mandi | Suketikhad/ Beas | 760 m | NA | NA |
Comments: After historic July 2023 floods, the CWC has added 6 new flood monitoring stations in Beas basin. All these Stations, except Solang are functional from this year.Hence there is no record of peak flood level attained at these stations. Of the 7 stations, 5 are in Kullu district and 2 in Mandi district. Before this, there was only one such station-Barot on the Uhl river in the basin.
The CWC website shows wrong HFL data for Barot station on Uhl. The river had attained higher level in August 2016 but the CWC maintains September 2018 flood levels as HFL which is lower than the 2016 flood levels.
Despite large existing dams and repeated flood disasters in the Beas basin, CWC has so far not installed any inflow forecast and level forecast stations in the basin.
Chenab Basin:List of flood monitoring stations as on July 06, 2025
| SN | Station/ District | River/ Basin | RL 0 Gauge | Old HFL/ Date | New HFL/ Date |
| 1 | Ghoushal/ Lahul &Spiti | Chandra/ Indus | 2849.46 m | 2855.53 m 20.07.1999 | 2855.56 m 20.07.1999 |
| 2 | Tandi/ Lahul &Spiti | Bhaga/ Indus | 2846.42 m | 2855.31m 13.08.2009 | No Change |
| 3 | Miyar Nallah/ Lahul &Spiti | Miyar Nallah/ Chandra Bhaga | 2612.07 m | 2616.97 m 28.07.2013 | 2616.97 m 27.07.2021 |
| 4 | Udaipur/ Lahul &Spiti | Chandra Bhaga/ Indus | 2600.33 m | 2609.15 12.08.2009 | No Change |
The CWC has slightly changed the 2019 HFL figure for Ghoushal station. HFL figure at Tandi Station in 2013 and 2021 is same.
There is no level and inflow forecast in the Chandra Bhaga (Chenab) basin in the state.
Yamuna Basin in HP:List of flood monitoring stations as on July 06, 2025
| SN | Station/ District | River/ Basin | RL 0 Gauge | Old HFL/ Date | New HFL/ Date |
| 1 | Meenuskhad/ Sirmaur | Meenus/ Tons | 728 m | 734.95 m 18.08.2019 | 735.3 m 10.07.2023 |
| 2 | Meenus (Tons)/ Sirmaur | Tons/ Yamuna | 714.8 m | 729.02 m 18.09.2019 | 760.35 m 10.07.2023 |
| 3 | Gaura/ Solan | Ashani/ Giri | 913.79 m | 918.2 m 18.08.2019 | 921.69 m 18.08.2019 |
| 4 | Yashwant Nagar/ Sirmaur | Giri/ Yamuna | 890 m | 902.9 m 05.09.1995 | 903.8 m 20.09.2008 |
| 5 | Kheri/ Sirmaur | Giri/ Yamuna | 775.2 m | 785.8 m 18.08.2019 | 788.6 m 18.08.2019 |
| 6 | Dadahu/ Sirmaur | Renuka/ Giri | 623.14 m | 629.02 m 18.08.2019 | No Change |
| 7 | Jateon Barrage/ Sirmaur | Giri/ Yamuna | 609 m | 615.9 m 23.07.2010 | 616.35 m 31.08.2012 |
| 8 | Ganguwala/ Sirmaur | Bata/ Yamuna | 366.77 m | 373.52 m 22.07.2023 | 373.93 m 26.09.2024 |
| 372.6 m 18.08.2019 | |||||
| 9 | Paonta/ Sirmaur | Yamuna/ Ganga | 372 m | 384.6 05.09.1995 | No Change |
Comments: Of the 9 CWC flood monitoring stations in Yamuna basin in HP, 8 are in Sirmaur district and 1 in Solan district. River wise maximum 5 stations are on Giri (3) and its tributaries (2), 1 each on Meenus, Tons, Bata and Yamuna.
The HFL of Kheri has been changed from 788.6 m to 785.8 m.Till 2022 CWC maintained 902.9 m dated 05.09.1995 as HFL for Yashwant Nagar Station but it has been now changed to 903.8 m dated 20.09.2008. This suggests CWC has not been updating the HFL records regularly.
There is no inflow forecast station in rivers joining Yamuna river in Himachal Pradesh.
Inactive Stations: In addition to these 32 active flood monitoring stations, the map on the CWC’s Flood Forecast website also marks about 56 new stations including 34 in Satluj basin and 22 in Beas basin. 54 of these stations have BBMB as suffix in their names and all these Stations are inactive with no hydrograph and flood level data.
Locations of the several stations on the map are quite close or even overlapping the locations of already existing active stations. Several stations are mentioned in wrong districts and on wrong rivers. River names for many stations is also missing. The river basin wise details of these stations and issues observed can be seen in this PDF file.
There is no information whether these stations are added by Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) or they are CWC stations. If these stations are inactive why has CWC marked and shown them on the map page of its Flood Forecast website.
Key Observations: The numbers of flood monitoring stations are inadequate and there is still only one level forecast station namely Poanta on Yamuna river in Sirmaur district in HP.
Despite repeated destructive flood disasters affecting the state, the CWC has set up no inflow forecast and level forecast station in the basin of four major rivers Satluj, Beas, Ravi and Chandra Bhaga. In fact, the CWC has not installed even a flood monitoring station in Ravi basin.
In comparison with 2022, the CWC has added 6 new and removed 4 old flood monitoring stations during the past three years increasing the total numbers from 30 in 2022 to 32 as on July 06, 2025. The list of new added and old removed stations is given in table below.
| SN | Station/ District | River/ Basin |
| Added | ||
| 1 | Solang/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus |
| 2 | Manali/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus |
| 3 | Kullu/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus |
| 4 | Bajaura/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus |
| 5 | Chharour Nalla/ Kullu | Parvati/ Beas |
| 6 | Bagla/ Mandi | Suketikhad/ Beas |
| Removed | ||
| 1 | POWARI/ Kinnaur | Satluj/ Indus |
| 2 | KOTHI/ Kullu | Beas/ Indus |
| 3 | Kaithi/ Hamirpur UP | Chandrawal/ Ken |
| 4 | Mansurpur/ UP | Rind/ Yamuna |
All the new added stations are in Beas basin. None of the new stations are inflow and level forecast station. One of the new stations namely Solang on Beas river in Kullu district is still inactive.
So overall, there are only 31 stations including 30 flood monitoring and 1 level forecast station (Paonta, Yamuna) in the entire state. Of these 22 stations are in Indus basin and 9 in Upper Yamuna (Ganga) basin.
The CWC has also not been maintaining the HFL records in regular, proper and factual manner.
The CWC urgently needs to install more functioning flood monitoring and most importantly level & inflow forecast stations in all river basin in the state and maintain these with adequate manpower to enable it to issue timely alerts and warnings to concerned government departments and general public.
Presently, in total absence of any inflow forecast stations and with only one level forecast station that too at the exit point of the state boundary, the existing 31 flood monitoring stations are hardly providing any help in flood management.
Can CWC, India’s only flood forecasting agency, continue to remain oblivious to increasing death & destruction due to flood disasters in HP?
SANDRP
SANDRP 
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