All 27 gates opened as water level in Jaikwadi dam in Marathwada touches 99%

The total water storage capacity of the Jaikwadi dam is 2,170,000 million litres. Officials in the water resources department said the dam would cross 100 per cent if it continues to rain over the next 24 to 48 hours. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, the water is being discharged.

On Wednesday, 18 gates of the Jaikwadi dam were opened. The water discharge was 36,000 cusecs. The remaining nine emergency gates were opened Thursday. There are a total of 27 gates in Jaikwadi dam.

Jaikwadi dam is the main source of drinking water in the Marathwada region, which comprises eight districts — Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Hingoli and Nanded.

The water from the dam helps irrigate 2.50 lakh hectares of land in the region, and provides water to the main industrial hubs in Aurangabad and Jalna.

Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said, “There is minute-to-minute monitoring by the irrigation department to calibrate the water level in the dam. The team, lead by executive engineers and other staff, has been put on round the clock work. All villages around the catchment areas and nearby are on alert.”