The Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is expected to reach its full storage capacity soon, a milestone that will be witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, which also happens to be his birthday.
The water in the dam, considered as ‘Gujarat’s lifeline’, is likely to touch the full reservoir level of 138.68 metre soon, said Gujarat’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. On Saturday, it reached the height of 138 m, just 68 cm short of the overflow mark.
The Chief Minister said: “After years of struggle, the dream of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel about the dam on the Narmada river has come true now.” The dam’s foundation stone was laid by the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961. But, its construction was completed in September 2017, after 56 years.
Due to less rainfall in 2018, the dam remained half empty.
“But due to good rains this year, the dam water level is likely to reach its maximum height in the coming days,” said Rupani.
The dam aims to provide drinking water to 131 urban centres and 9,633 villages and irrigation facilities for 18.54 hectares of land.
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