Sardar Sarovar Releases Extra Water Amid High Inflows

Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district has reported a water level of 135.85 metres as of Monday evening, which is 2.8 metres shy of its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 138.68 metres. To manage the rising water levels and prevent potential overflow, Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) has increased the height of nine of the dam’s radial gates to 2.1 metres, thereby releasing approximately 1.5 lakh cusecs of water downstream.

This strategic adjustment follows the opening of these nine radial gates to 1.5 metres the previous day. As a result of the heightened gate position, the dam is now discharging up to 1.5 lakh cusecs of water, complementing the discharge from the Riverbed Power House (RBPH). The inflow into the dam from the Indirasagar and Omkareshwar dams in Madhya Pradesh remains substantial, standing at 2.29 lakh cusecs as the live storage reached 3840.53 million cubic metres. An SSNNL official noted that the decision to increase the gate height was taken as the dam’s level crossed 134 metres on Sunday. “Given the consistent inflow from Madhya Pradesh, which has been around 2.5 lakh cusecs in recent weeks, we raised the gates to 2.1 metres around 11:30 AM on Monday to manage the dam’s capacity effectively. This has led to the Garudeshwar Weir overflowing,” the official said. Consequently, flood alerts have been issued to all relevant district administrations.

The Gujarat Water Resource Department has reported that out of the 206 dams in the state, 62 are on high alert. Of these, 49 are at full capacity, while 40 are filled between 70% and 100%. The swelling Narmada River has prompted evacuation warnings for approximately 80 villages across the Narmada, Vadodara, and Bharuch districts, advising residents to move to safer locations. As the Sardar Sarovar Dam approaches its full capacity, ongoing management and monitoring are crucial to mitigate flood risks and ensure safety for the affected communities.