‘Namami Narmada Mahotsav’ to celebrate highest water level in Sardar Sarovar Dam

NAVAGAM: This week, the Sardar Sarovar dam achieved its full reservoir level (FRL) of 138.68 m. This is the first time that the 1210 m long dam reached the maximum capacity since the height was raised in 2017.  

The government organised the ‘Namami Narmada Mahotsav’ on September 17, 2019, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Governor Acharya Devvrat. PM Modi performed a pooja at the dam site. The River Narmada is brimming with maximum flow following widespread rains of over 250 mm in the last two weeks. Some places in the state have received over 500 mm of precipitation in the previous week.  

In order to control the flood condition in Bharuch district of Gujarat, the outflows from Sardar Sarovar Dam has also been limited. In May 2019, the Gujarat government sought permission to raise the water level to 138.68 m. The dam’s maximum water level is 142.21 m. In Sardar Sarovar Dam, when flowing at FRL, around 86,088 acres of land submerges, 27,871 acres of which is agricultural land and 33,463 acres is forest land.  

The dam authority reports that the Sardar Sarovar project irrigates 4.58 million acres of area in Gujarat—75 per cent of which is drought-prone. It is also projected to provide drinking water for three crore people by 2021.