Ahmedabad: The Sabarmati River, which has remained largely dry for the past two months, is set to be refilled from June 22. Water was drained from the river to facilitate the repair and replacement of gates at the Vasna Barrage.

The Standing Committee of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Thursday announced that, keeping in mind the annual Jal Yatra organized by the Jagannath Temple ahead of the Rath Yatra, a proposal has been made to the Irrigation Department to release water into the Sabarmati River. According to Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani, water will be released into the river by June 22.

Meanwhile, a video showing dead fish in the river near the railway bridge surfaced on social media. Reacting to the incident, an official of the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd. (SRFDCL) said that an inspection was carried out at the location shown in the viral video. Preliminary findings suggest that the fish died due to the drop in the river’s water level. However, officials estimate that the number of dead fish was between 50 and 100.

The repair work on the barrage gates is still underway. In such a situation, releasing water into the river for the Jal Yatra could affect the ongoing repair work. However, authorities have decided to prioritize the religious event and restore the river’s water level before the procession. DeshGujarat