Gujarat government extends Narmada water supplies for Kharif season

The Gujarat government has approved three major decisions to extend Narmada water supplies to various regions to mitigate irrigation and drinking water concerns during the Kharif season. These measures follow uncertainty regarding rainfall and reservoir inflows, exacerbated by potential El Niño conditions and a national rainfall deficit.

Key actions include:

• Supplying 5,000 cusecs of water from the Narmada Project to the Mahi Command area for 20 days to support farmers. • Extending Narmada water supplies to Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar via the Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana for an additional 10 days. • Continuing the supply of 2,000 cusecs of water to North Gujarat through the Sujalam-Sufalam Pipeline Yojana for another 15 days.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who chaired the review meeting, has directed officials to prioritize drinking water requirements if rainfall does not improve or reservoir levels fail to rise.