Bharuch, September 07: Cities of the state dependent on Narmada’s Sardar Sarovar dam can rest assured till June 2010. Thanks to the incessant pouring in catchment area of Madhya Pradesh, the dam has brimmed over for the first time since 2007.
About 125mm of rainfall in MP and good inflow in Omkareshwar dam – major source of inflow in Narmada – the dam’s levels reached 121.92 mt at 8 pm on Saturday. The dam crossed its crest level and at 5.30 pm on Sunday it was flowing at 122.03 mt, which is an all-time high.
Following fresh inflow, six units of 1,200 MW power station were restarted. Presently, the inflow of water into the dam was recorded at 47,538 cusecs and the outflow at 65,059 cusecs.
Sources at SSNNL said, “Levels may rise further, but it will not cause floods. All the villagers residing in the dam areas are safe. However, we have issued orders to Narmada and Bharuch district collectors to keep a watch and act accordingly,” officials at flood cell active at the dam site in Kevadia said, “It’s expected that as there is no rain at present at local level, rains in the upstream and in catchment area will not create extreme situation.”
State-wide water situation is also improving with 50 water sources of 195 dams flowing at full capacity. This includes 45 dams from Saurashtra, three from Kutch and two from south Gujarat. Seventy-two smaller dams of the state are 90 to 100 per cent full while 20 have 80 to 90 per cent water and 14 have 70 to 80 per cent water.
—Agencies7