Vadodara: Even as the authorities were reportedly trying hard to delay the first overflow of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam after increase in its height due to installation and closure of gates, till September 17- the birthday of PM Narendra Modi, the heavy inflow from Madhya Pradesh has not only made the water level cross the 138 meter mark but has inched closure to the highest level.

The water level that touched the 138 meter mark for the first time at 2 pm today has reached 138.14 m at 5 pm which was just 54 cm below from the highest/overflow point. The water level was still rising.

The dam was 98.34% full at 5 pm this evening.

It had touched 137 meter mark for the first time on September 11, 136 m on September 8, 135 m on September 2, 134 m on August 27 and 133 meters on August 20 after almost continuous rise with slight fluctuations and occasional lowering due to opening of gates.

According to the official information received from the Narmada Flood Control room here, the inflow at 5 pm was 894730 cuses and outflow was 630444 cusec. 23 gates of the dam were open up to 3.9 meters.

Notably, after installation and closure of 30 gates on the dam in 2017, its maximum height increased from 121.92m to 138.68 m.

Excess water was being flown to the sea towards Bharuch on the downstream side. Due to heavy inflow the low-lying areas close to the river in the down stream have been alerted. People have also been shifted to safer places. Water from the river was also being flown to other rivers like Sabarmati, Rupen and Banas etc.

Notably, CM Vijay Rupani has said that Gujarat did not need any permission from the Narmada Command Authority for filling the dam reservoir up to the maximum level. It is trying to do so slowly and cautiously keeping in view all the technical aspects.He said that the whole Gujarat was happy about the filling of the Narmada to its brim. PM Modi on his birthday would remain present at the dam and offer prayer to Narmada water.

. The gross storage of water in the reservoir that supplies drinking water to over 3 crore or more than half of the population living in 167 towns and more than 10 thousand villages of this state,was 9303.77 Million Cubic Meter (MCM) which was above 98.34% of total capacity. The live storage capacity was 5603.77 MCM ie., 97.28% at 7 pm.

Notably, the gates were opened for the first time in the morning of August 9 this year to release water even as the water level in its reservoir touched a record all time high of that time at 131.45 m due to heavy inflow caused by heavy to very heavy rain in the catchment areas of river Narmada.

Due to the discharge of water in river from the reservoir, all the six units of the river bed hydel power production system which have been started after two years are operational today as well. It houses six 200 MW Francis pump-turbines to generate electricity and include a pumped-storage capability. Additionally, a power plant on the intake for the main canal ie canal bed contains five 50 MW Kaplan turbine-generators. All of these were currently operational .The total installed capacity of the power facilities is 1,450 MW.

During earlier two years the highest level of the dam achieved was 130.75 reached on September 25, 2017.

DeshGujarat