Narmada Dam Reaches 76% Capacity Bringing Relief Across Gujarat

Gandhinagar: Concerns over reduced rainfall during El Niño years had initially created anxiety within the Gujarat government at the beginning of the monsoon season. However, significant relief arrived by Sunday evening as the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam reached 76.33% of its total capacity. The water level in the dam—which has a full height of 138.68 meters—has now risen to 131.50 meters. This is only about 2 meters higher than the water level recorded on the exact same date during a normal year. This development brings substantial relief, as the dam supplies drinking water to 12 municipal corporations, 185 towns, and 10,843 villages, while also providing irrigation water for an estimated 12 lakh hectares of agricultural land.

The Narmada Dam, which possesses a total gross storage capacity of 9,460 million cubic meters (MCM), currently holds 7,220.47 MCM of water. Out of this, the active or usable water storage stands at 3,566.33 MCM. An inflow of approximately 45,146 cusecs is being received into the reservoir from the Madhya Pradesh catchment area and the Omkareshwar Dam. Inflow rates fluctuated throughout the day, standing at 72,407 cusecs in the morning before averaging around 45,217 cusecs by the afternoon. To ensure the reservoir fills adequately and prevents water scarcity issues in the upcoming 2026–27 year, the canal head and riverbed powerhouses have been completely shut down. With power generation suspended, the release of water into the IBPTs, canals, and riverbed has been entirely stopped.

Beyond the Narmada Dam, the latest status of Gujarat’s 206 other dams and reservoirs shows a varied water storage landscape across the state. A total of 24 dams are completely overflowing, while 27 dams are filled between 70% and 100% capacity. Additionally, 33 dams have reached 50% to 70% capacity, and 49 dams hold between 25% and 50% storage. On the lower end, 76 dams still remain under 25% capacity. Overall, the cumulative water storage across all 206 dams in the state currently stands at 57.55%. DeshGujarat