Gujarat's lifeline Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river has reached the maximum storage level in five years at 123.61 meters providing a big relief for the farmers in the ongoing kharif sowing season.

The State’s Deputy Chief Minister, Nitin Patel, on Friday informed that farmers in Narmada command areas of Saurashtra, Kutch and parts of North Gujarat will be supplied Narmada waters through the canal network from June 7.

Patel informed the Sardar Sarovar Dam has recorded maximum storage till date with water level at 123.61 meter height and total storage of 1.51 million acre feet of water in the reservoir.

"The decision to supply Narmada water to the farmers has been taken considering the current record reservoir level at the Narmada dam. Farmers will start getting water from this dam before the fresh water inflow starts in the dam following monsoon rains," said Patel.

The decision will benefit 14 lakh hectares of farm land in the Narmada command area.

Notably, farmers had represented to the State government for release of water from Narmada dam before the kharif sowing season kicks off in the region. Major kharif crops include cotton, groundnut, castor, and other oilseeds besides cereal crops and pulses.

Last year in 2019-20 total kharif sowing was registered at 86.77 lakh hectares including 26.68 lakh hectares under cotton and 15.52 lakh hectares under groundnut apart from 13.67 lakh hectares under cereal crops including paddy, bajra, jowar and maize.

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