Gandhinagar, Aug 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Gujarat has approved releasing 600 cusecs of water from the Machhu-2 reservoir through Link-1 of the Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) scheme to meet water needs in Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts, with drinking water prioritised over irrigation.
The decision was taken by the state government under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, keeping in view the water requirements of residents and farmers in the two Saurashtra districts.
"The region normally depends on local reservoirs for irrigation, but lower rainfall has affected water availability, while storage in the Narmada basin is also below normal levels," officials said.
Under the special approval, water will be drawn from the Machhu-2 reservoir through the SAUNI pipeline and supplied towards the local requirements of Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka.
The state Water Resources and Water Supply Department said 600 cusecs is currently being drawn through SAUNI Link-1.
"The water would first be allocated for drinking purposes. Any water remaining after meeting drinking-water requirements would subsequently be made available for agriculture and irrigation," officials said.
The SAUNI project was designed to divert water through a network of pipelines to reservoirs across the Saurashtra region.
According to the state government, Link-1 runs from the Machhu-II dam in Morbi district towards Sani Dam in Jamnagar and has a carrying capacity of 1,200 cusecs.
It is intended to fill 30 reservoirs across Rajkot, Morbi, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts, benefiting about 2.02 lakh acres.
The state government's decision comes as local water resources face pressure following lower-than-usual rainfall.
The immediate priority will be to ensure drinking-water availability in the affected areas, with irrigation supplies dependent on the water left after meeting those needs.
"The measure would help ease drinking-water concerns in parts of Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka while providing relief to farmers dependent on water for agricultural activities," officials added.
Source: IANS
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