Narmada dam 77 cm away from peak height

Bharuch/Vadodara: Sardar Sarovar Dam is just 77 centimetres away from overflowing from its peak height of 138.62 metres. Water level in the dam touched 137.91-metre mark on Friday due to heavy inflow of water from Omkareshwar dam and Indira Sagar dam in Madhya Pradesh.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani said on Friday that the government has decided to celebrate state-level “Namami Devi Narmade” Mahotsav as the water level in Sardar Sarovar dam touches historic high.

The celebration have been coincided with the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is likely to visit the Statue of Unity on September 17.

Saints, monks, NGOs and people from the state will participate in this mahotsav that will be celebrated at nearly 1,000 places in the state. The main event will be held at Kevadiya.

Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNL) sources said nine lakh cusecs water was flowing into the dam as on Friday and that eight lakh cusecs going downstream towards the river. The water level is increasing at a pace of two centimetres every hour.

The 1,200 megawatt power houses in the riverbed and canal head are in operation.

Meanwhile, more than 40 villages in Bharuch and Narmada districts remained waterlogged on Friday. Worried farmers of these villages complained that their standing crop has been destroyed as their farms remain submerged in waters for a week. Local authorities have issued an alert and asked villagers to stay away from the river.

GIRL RESCUED

Narmada district cops saved the life of Surekha Tadvi, a 13-year-old girl, who stays at Kothi village. Tadvi was stuck in a small creek between Kothi and Dhavdi villages when heavy current of water gushed in. The cops conducted a two-hour operation with help of local youths and rescued Tadvi, who was tied to a bedsheet and held with ropes from both sides and brought to safety.