Sardar Sarovar crosses 130-metre mark; dams in Gujarat 70.47 pc full
The region had recorded 60.18 per cent filling capacity of water bodies on July 12. With a gross storage of 2,125.06 MCM on July 31, the region has nearly 693 MCM in excess as compared to July 31, 2022.
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The dam, called the lifeline of Gujarat, currently has a live storage of 55.90 per cent, or 3,220.04 MCM. (Express File Photo) The Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district crossed the 130-metre mark Monday following heavy inflow from Madhya Pradesh where the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar dams are close to their Full Reservoir Level (FRL).
At 130.02 metres — only about eight metres short of its FRL — the dam received an inflow of over 93,000 cusecs from MP as well as from heavy rain in the catchment areas. The dam is currently filled up to 73.5 per cent of its gross storage of 6,920 Million Cubic Metres (MCM).
As the dam level has consistently risen since July beginning, the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) has been generating hydropower through the 1,200-MW Riverbed Powerhouse (RBPH) instead of opening the radial gates for a safe filling of the dam to its FRL of 138.68 metres.
The dam, called the lifeline of Gujarat, currently has a live storage of 55.90 per cent, or 3,220.04 MCM. The RBPH is releasing 28,730 cusecs of water downstream in addition to the release from the Canal Head Powerhouse of 5,327 cusecs.
Due to the heavy outflow following power generation, the Garudeshwar Weir, located 12 kilometres downstream from the Sardar Sarovar Dam, is overflowing above its 33-metre mark. Narmada river at the gauging point in Garudeshwar is currently flowing at 16 metres.
According to data from the Water Resources and Water Supply Department of Gujarat, until July 31, 207 major dams, including the Sardar Sarovar in Narmada, have a collective reserve of 70.47 per cent of the total capacity of 25,265 MCM. The available live storage in the major water bodies of the state is also up to 63.51 per cent as against 29.02 per cent on May 15.
Dams in North Gujarat now have 69.65 per cent of water with 1,346.26 MCM gross storage as on July 31. The reservoirs in four North Gujarat districts — Aravalli, Banaskantha, Mehsana and Sabarkantha — have a current live storage of 67.22 per cent, after recording 55.4 per cent on July 12 .
In Kutch, which has 20 dams in total, 10 dams are completely filled with a total gross storage of 221 MCM at a 66.78 per cent filling capacity. In Saurashtra, 48 of the 141 dams are completely filled at 82.10 per cent filling capacity following heavy rainfall and floods.
The region had recorded 60.18 per cent filling capacity of water bodies on July 12. With a gross storage of 2,125.06 MCM on July 31, the region has nearly 693 MCM in excess as compared to July 31, 2022.
Reservoirs in South Gujarat, too, have recorded a filling capacity of 71.09 per cent with three of the 13 dams completely filled. However, the gross storage of 6,126 MCM is a deficit of 228 MCM compared to July 31, 2022. South Gujarat had recorded a total storage of 35.83 per cent on July 12.
The dams in Central Gujarat, however, are yet to see the water storage rise, with only 45.64 per cent of the capacity filled so far. Two of 17 dams are completely filled. The gross storage of dams in Central Gujarat is 1,063 MCM out of the capacity of 2,331 MCM. The region had recorded a gross storage of 32.03 per cent on July 12.
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