Vadodara:

The supply of water from Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam for irrigation of Rabi crops which was gradually being reduced since yesterday as per pre- announced schedule has completely stopped today and it has resulted in lessening of over 5000 cusec of outflow rate from the largest water reservoir in Gujarat amid concerns over availability of enough water this summer.

The all important dam and reservoir situated in Kevadia of Narmada district, through which drinking water is supplied to over 10000 villages and 150 towns in the state was now seeing less slow downfall in the water level.

Chief Engineer of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) (Narmada Dam and Vadodara region) P C Vyas today said that the total discharge rate which was around 9000 cusec till yesterday has now come down to 4900 cusec of which 4300 cuses was for the canal (drinking etc) and 600 cuses was for the downstream in the river towards its tail in Bharuch.

‘In fact Summer irrigation is not at all a part of the Narmada water supply project. It was also announced weeks ago from the highest level that the water supply for irrigation would be stopped from March 15 which was deemed as the end of Rabi season. We started stopping irrigation water supply from yesterday gradually and it has stopped completely today morning. Now the water in the main and branch canals was only for drinking purposes,’ he said adding that wherever necessary police has also been deployed to check any possible water theft.

‘Water level in the reservoir today is 105.46 meter and the inflow was varying between 1500 to 2000 cusec while the total discharge has come down to 4900 cuses. There was enough water for drinking supply purposes in it till next monsoon,’ he said.

Notably the water level in the reservoir had gone below the minimum level of 110.64 meter for running the two related hydel power units on February 20 itself. After that the Irrigation bypass tunnel was being used for maintaining the discharge of water.

DeshGujarat