Gandhinagar, Sep 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Gujarat has decided to extend Narmada water supplies to several regions facing irrigation and rainfall concerns, with the state government approving additional releases for the Kharif season amid uncertainty over further rainfall and reservoir inflows.
The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar to review the availability and management of drinking and irrigation water across the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi joined the meeting through video conference.
Under the decisions taken at the meeting, 5,000 cusecs of water from the Narmada Project will be supplied for 20 days to the Mahi Command area for irrigation.
The government said the measure was aimed at ensuring adequate water availability for farmers during the ongoing Kharif season.
The state has also decided to extend the supply of Narmada water to Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar through Link-1 of the Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana by another 10 days.
The supply had begun on August 19, with the two districts identified among the areas that received the least rainfall. The extension is intended to support standing crops.
A third decision concerns North Gujarat, where 2,000 cusecs of Narmada water has been supplied through the Sujalam-Sufalam Pipeline Yojana since August 19. The government has decided to continue this supply for a further 15 days.
The review comes as Gujarat faces concerns over rainfall and water availability amid the potential impact of prevailing El Niño conditions.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast below-normal rainfall across much of India for September, following a 16 per cent rainfall deficit nationally in August.
During the meeting, Patel directed officials to give priority to drinking water requirements if adequate rainfall is not received in the coming period and reservoir inflows fail to improve.
He instructed the concerned departments and district administrations to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted supply of drinking water in both urban and rural areas, particularly in water-scarce and vulnerable locations.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to continuously monitor rainfall, reservoir levels and overall water availability, while making efficient and judicious use of available resources.
He called for timely decisions based on the evolving situation, keeping the interests of farmers and the wider population in consideration.
The government said it would continue to monitor rainfall, reservoir storage and water availability and take further measures as required.
Patel also appealed to citizens and farmers to use water efficiently and support water conservation efforts.
Source: IANS
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