The Indian Express 06.09.2012
RMC breathes easy as dams get fresh inflow
The city, which has been reeling under drinking water crisis, can
breathe easy for a few weeks as the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC)
is likely to maintain its alternate day supply following fresh inflow in
three major dams.
The fresh quantum, however, can sustain the supply only for a
month. This assumes significance as the additional Narmada supply is not
expected to reach before November.Following rains over the last three days, Bhadar and Aji I dams
received fresh inflow up to one foot while Nyari I dam registered a
2.5-foot increase in the level by Tuesday evening.
RMC officials said that collectively, the three dams have
registered a fresh inflow of 96 million per cubic feet. They said this
will help in maintaining alternate day water supply of 20 minutes till
the first week of October.
At present, the RMC is allotted 100 MLD Narmada water per day,
which is not sufficient to maintain the daily water supply. The state
government has promised supply of additional 40 MLD Narmada water, but
this is not likely to start before November as the lining work is still
on.
Mayor Janak Kotak is schedule to visit Gandhinagar soon with a
plea to provide additional Narmada water soon even as the civic body has
planned to dig bores near the Nyari dam site and install new hand-pumps
across the city.Meanwhile, of the 104 dams in the Saurashtra region, 56 have
registered fresh inflow up to 17 feet, bringing some relief to the
parched land.
