Dams in Saurashtra, Kutch wait for their fill

Despite the state receiving heavy rainfall in the last one week, major dams in Saurashtra, north Gujarat and Kutch regions are still empty as these did not receive adequate rainfall.

According to state irrigation department, major dams and reservoirs in north Gujarat areas, Kutch and Saurashtra have received only 40 per cent, 17 per cent and 14 per cent water of their total storage capacity, respectively.

The details provided by the irrigation department officials say that Shetrunji dam in Bhavnagar district, Bhadar, Machchhu-I and Machchu-II dams in Rajkot district have so far received water only 17 per cent, 3.18 per cent, 16 and 12 per cent, respectively, of their storage capacity.

The situation is worst in Surendranagar district where Brahmani dam has got water only 0.02 per cent of its total storage capacity. The picture in coastal Jamnagar district is also not very rosy as its major dam-Und-I has got water only 5.37 per cent of its storage level.

However, the monsoon, though delayed, has brought cheers on the faces of the farmers in south and central Gujarat regions, with most of the dams and water reservoirs getting full to the brim. Though most of the kharif crops were affected adversely because of late arrival of monsoon, agriculturists feel that adequate availability of water in reservoirs and recharging of the ground water would, however, ensure good rabi crops.

Almost all the major dams in these region are either full to the brim or are overflowing, forcing the authorities to issue warning to the people in their downstream areas as monsoon was still continuing in the catchment areas of these dams.

Ukai in Tapi district of south Gujarat and Kadana Dahod district in central Gujarat region were almost 90 per cent full by Friday evening. Panam in Panchmahals district and Sardar Sarovar dam in Narmada district were also 100 per cent. Watrak dam in Sabarkantha district with its catchment areas in Rajasthan had also received water more than 90 per cent of its storage capacity.

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