Monsoon in Gujarat: Sardar Sarovar Dam gates opened as water level nears full reservoir mark

The decision to open the gates at 11 am was taken by the Flood Management Centre of the dam and conveyed by district authorities to talukas in Narmada district, placing riverbank villages on high alert. Officials told The Indian Express that while the dam’s water level was rising at about seven centimetres per hour, “there is no reason to worry” as the release is being conducted in a controlled manner as per SSNNL protocol.

With a steady inflow of about 4.01 lakh cusecs from the upstream Omkareshwar and Indirasagar dams in Madhya Pradesh, the Sardar Sarovar Dam began releasing 1.37 lakh cusecs downstream on Thursday. The SSNNL has also continued power generation through six functional units of the Riverbed Power House and one unit of the Canal Head Power House. The dam is currently at 74 percent of its capacity, holding a live storage of 3,500 million cubic metres (MCM).

The Narmada dam, considered Gujarat’s lifeline, has seen a rise of nearly seven metres over the last week. From 123.57 metres on July 24, it rose steadily to 127.92 metres on Wednesday. Officials said that Indirasagar dam had begun releasing water through 12 gates at a height of three metres, discharging 4.4 lakh cusecs, while Omkareshwar was releasing up to 4.75 lakh cusecs through 19 gates.

As per standard protocol, the SSNNL began releasing a total of 1.37 lakh cusecs downstream to ensure a safe rise to FRL. Officials said the dam’s Flood Control Centre is closely monitoring the situation, especially as catchment areas, including the Khandwa raingauge station, continue to receive heavy rainfall.