Gujarat: Narmada dam at full reservoir level

The dam continued to release close to 7.9 lakh cusec water from the open gates on Saturday, which has left over 135 villages inundated in Bharuch, Narmada and Vadodara districts in the state.Nearly 5,000 people have been moved to safer places in Bharuch, even as the district administration has requested the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) to reduce the flow of water to prevent further flooding. Bharuch district Collector M D Modiya has confirmed that 23 villages have been completely evacuated. Several parts of Bharuch city have also been flooded.

SSNNL MD Rajiv Kumar Gupta tweeted on Saturday afternoon, saying, “Further storage (in the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir) necessary to control flood situation in Bharuch city due to high tide and (in) 175 villages in three districts. (Bharuch) District Administration requested to control outflow. Level touched historic mark of 138 mtrs today.”

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government released a statement to list the course of the celebrations planned for September 17, to mark Prime Minister Modi’s 69th birthday. The release stated, “In order to celebrate the event of the filling up of the Narmada dam, which is the lifeline of Gujarat, a special obeisance to Goddess Narmada will be offered in all districts on September 17. The day will begin with the cleaning of water bodies — ponds, lakes, rivers — at each district headquarters at 9 am, followed by the offering of a coconut and chunri (sash), and thereafter a ‘mahaarti’ to celebrate the day.”

Top BJP leaders said Prime Minister Modi will join Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel in Kevadia to perform the Narmada Aarti himself.

On Saturday, dog squads began santising the restricted ‘A Frame’ area of the Sardar Sarovar dam, where dignitaries will arrive on September 17 to perform the puja.