Ukai dam nears full reservoir level

Surat: Water level at Ukai dam has gone beyond 344 ft, which is one foot away from the full reservoir level (FRL). On Monday evening, inflow of water into the dam was 63,354 cusecs and water at the same rate was being released from the dam. At the moment, the dam has a storage of 6,563 million cubic metre of water, which is 97% of its total capacity. It has around one foot (in height) additional space to store fresh water coming from the catchment area.“There is no heavy rain in the catchment area and the water release from Hatnur has been at the rate of 20,000 cusecs. Hence, the inflow will drop at Ukai,” said a dam official. Irrigation and dam officials are keeping a close watch on the rain in the upstream of the river. A week back, over 3.10 lakh cusecs of water were released to accommodate the heavy inflow of water. Four hydro power stations, each of 75 kW capacity, are operational with the discharge of water from Ukai. The two smaller hydro power stations, each of 2.5 kW, are also operational. Water level at the weir-cum-causeway was 7.57 metre and the causeway remained submerged on Monday. “Since the discharge of water has reduced from Hatnur, the water release from Ukai will also be reduced,” said an official. Demand for water release is likely to be raised for Ganesha immersion this week. In the past, Ganesha pandal organisers have demanded for water release to carry out smooth immersion.

More water released from Kadana dam

Villages along the Mahi river in Gujarat have been put on alert as more water is released from the Kadana dam. Around 1.5 lakh cusecs of water was released due to steady inflow. Villages in the Lunawada, Kadana, Khanpur, Godhra, and Shahera talukas were advised to exercise caution near the river. In other news, several dams in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Nashik have been opened due to heavy rainfall, increasing water levels. Tamil Nadu continues to release water from the Mettur dam despite Karnataka's refusal.

Mismanagement in dam water release caused destruction

Congress leader Jay Narayan Vyas criticized the mismanagement in water release from the Sardar Sarovar dam, leading to severe flooding and destruction. Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) defended their water release management, stating that excessive rainfall occurred on September 16 and 17. Vyas claimed that water should have been released earlier but was not. The dam has now reached its full reservoir level, resulting in the opening of sluice gates and relocation of people living along the Narmada river banks due to heavy rainfall.

Pune: Rain in catchments prompts water discharge from three reservoirs

Several dams in Pune district, India, have received good rainfall, leading to the discharge of water. The Bhatghar dam reached its full capacity for the first time this season, while Panshet and Varasgaon dams returned to 100% capacity. The collective storage in the four dams in the Khadakwasla circle was at 27.3TMC, or 27.8% of their total capacity. More rain is expected in the coming days to fill the remaining dams, with some already at 90% capacity. Mulshi dam reached 97% capacity, while Pavana and Andra dams remain at 100%.