At a time when parts of North and East India are facing flood-like situations, Gujarat, in the West, is grappling with a water crisis. So high is the rain deficit and water shortage that the Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that water supply for irrigation may be curtailed in case of a further delay in rains.

Speaking to BusinessLine , Patel said: “The situation has remained worse for many parts of the State. Barring Saurashtra and South Gujarat, where it rained fairly well, there is rain deficiency in North Gujarat and Kutch. We have stopped irrigation water from certain dams, where the water level is very low.”

So far, the State has received 453.80 mm rainfall, which is about 45 per cent deficit from the normal 831 mm.

For the North Gujarat region, the rainfall deficit is about 72 per cent. In Kutch, the deficit was 89 per cent as on August 6.

Depleting storage levels

Of the 203 dams in the State, 114 dams have a water storage level that is less than 40 per cent of their gross storage capacity. The storage level has depleted to 25 per cent or less in 85 dams as on August 6. The ambitious Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river has only 37 per cent water of its gross storage, which has triggered concern in the government.

“The upper catchment area of Sardar Sarovar Dam has received less rain, hence there is a low inflow of water. We are hopeful it will rain adequately in a couple of days else we are in for a critical time,” said Patel.

Sowing hit

North Gujarat and Kutch regions are the key growing regions for cotton, groundnut, paddy, castor and millets, besides guar and vegetables.

North Gujarat has been the castor heartland but this year, sowing progress has been dull with only 15,200 hectares bring brought under the crop in the region, as against 48,500 hectares around the same time last year.

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