The water level at Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) over Narmada River in Gujarat has been rising steadily, as officials confirmed on Sunday that the water level has reached 138.32 metres, 36 centimetres short of the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 138.68 metres. It is expected that the water level in the dam will hit its full capacity by September 17, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the 'Namami Devi Narmade Mahotsav' in the state to mark his 69th birthday.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier invited the Prime Minister to attend the Mahotsav in Gujarat on his birthday on September 17, which Modi had accepted. He will be arriving in the state on September 16 and is scheduled to offer prayers to the Narmada Devi the following day at the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The Mahotsav, reports quoted Rupani as having said, is being celebrated across the state with over 5000 events to mark the filling up of the SSD to its full capacity.
According to sources, around 8 lakh 11 thousand cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water was being deposited in the Narmada river from the SSD. After 23 of its doors were opened, a reported 8 lakh 17 thousand cusecs of water is now being released into the river.
District administration has notified the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL), requesting it to reduce the water flow in the dam to prevent flooding after full capacity is hit.
SSNNL MD Dr Rajiv Kumar Gupta tweeted on Saturday, saying, "Further storage necessary to control flood situation in Bharuch city due to high tide and 175 villages in three districts. District Administration requested to control the outflow. Level touched historic mark of 138 mtrs today."
The Gora Bridge to Kevadiya has been closed for seven days due to the increase in water level at the dam. Moreover, 175 nearby villages have been alerted, while administrative officers and heads of the Gram Sabhas (sarpanch) have been put on standby.
For the first time since stop gates were installed for the dam in 2017 and its height raised that the water touched this level. A Narmada Mahotsav will also be celebrated on September 17, said the state government, and festivities are expected to take place simultaneously across over 1,000 cities and talukas. These would include participation from religious leaders, non-government organisations and citizens. An official programme will be held at Kevadia Colony near the dam. "We have also sent an invite to the Prime Minister to celebrate the historic moment,” a state release said.
Meanwhile, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has approached the Supreme Court against the state's decision to fill the dam to maximum capacity. The petition says that 178 villages will be drowned if Gujarat were to carry forward with its decision.
Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh government, as well as the NBA, expressed apprehensions that Gujarat may end up violating safety norms in its hurry to fill up the dam. Gujarat has on its part, said that it will be following the dam safety manual.
(with inputs from Zee Media Newsroom)
