Sardar Sarovar Dam Reaches Full Capacity Amidst Heavy Rains

The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in Gujarat reached its full capacity following heavy rainfall upstream. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel marked the event with prayers. This is the fifth time since 2017 that the dam, essential for Gujarat's water needs, achieved its maximum water level of 138.68 meters.

In a significant development, the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in Gujarat has reached its full capacity, driven by substantial rainfall upstream, officials confirmed.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel commemorated the occasion by offering prayers at the dam site near Ekta Nagar in Narmada district, approximately 200km from Ahmedabad, according to an official statement.

This marks the fifth instance since the dam's dedication in 2017 that it has reached its maximum reservoir level of 138.68 meters. The dam's total storage capacity stands at 9,460 million cubic meters (MCM).

With water inflow from Omkareshwar dams in Madhya Pradesh, authorities have opened 10 of the 30 gates of the Gujarat dam to a height of 0.75 meters. Concurrently, 60,000 cusecs of water is being released from these gates, supplemented by 45,000 cusecs discharged through six River Bed Power Houses (RBPHs) built on the dam.

This year, the river bed power houses and canal head power facility have generated a total of 1,343 MW of electricity during the monsoon season. The dam, often referred to as 'Gujarat's lifeline,' provides drinking water to nearly 4 crore people across 10,014 villages, 183 cities, and seven municipal areas in the state.

(With inputs from agencies.)