Rajkot city gets water from the Aji-I, Nyari-1, Bhadar, Aji-III and Nyari-II reservoirs. At present, Aji-I has water just enough for two or three more days. Nyari-I has completely dried up and Bhadar has only 8.4 feet water. Nyari-II has 83.90 metre water and Aji-III has a water level of 46.85 metre.

The city needs 125 lakh gallons per day.

When contacted, Rajkot Municipal Corporation city engineer C D Bhalodya said, ``At present we are withdrawing 65 lakh gallon water from Bhadar per day, of which 5 lakh gallon is given to Gondal city and 60 lakh gallon to Rajkot. From Aji-III and Nyari-II we are withdrawing about 20 lakh gallon water per day. From Wankaner bores we get around 30-35 lakh gallon water a day. For the newly merged areas of the city, (ie ward nos 21, 22, 23 and 24), we are supplying water by 200 tankers -- 4.5 lakh gallon water on alternate day.''

``However, by the end of March, RMC will be totally dependent on the 130 Wankaner bores,'' Bhalodya said.

RMC officials are now exploring other alternatives to help them tide over the imminent crisis. Rajkot Municipal Corporation sources said, ``Before the last monsoon, RMC had started drilling bores at the bottom of Lalpari and Aji reservoirs to tap the underground water. Now, after the rains, the bores have submerged, but once the reservoirs dry up, RMC will once again start work on drilling bores in that reservoirs. This is the only alternative we can think of now to supplement water from Wankaner bores.''

Under Wankaner pipeline project RMC have made 130 bores, but the Forest Department have not given permission to the RMC to pump out water from 76 bores which are drilled on the department land.