Gujarat 24% water deficit compared to 2025, but its biggest dam Narmada is full - The Indian Express

Gujarat’s lifeline, the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district, reached its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 138.68 metres on Wednesday evening with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performing the traditional aarti at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) to mark the reservoir filling to capacity.

The FRL reached after steady inflow into the reservoir from the catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh since mid-August. With Sardar Sarovar Dam reaching its FRL, the state now has a substantially stronger water storage even as the water-resources data shows an overall deficit of about 3,800 MCM or 24.13% lower as compared to the figures last year.

The Sardar Sarovar reservoir had reached 138.59 metres on Wednesday morning, with gross storage of 9,431.01 million cubic metres (MCM), or 99.69% of its gross capacity. During the day, the dam reached the FRL as CM Patel, Lok Sabha MP Mansukh Vasava, Nandod MLA Dr Darshana Deshmukh and BJP Narmada District President Shabdasharan Tadvi, along with officials, performed the aarti at the dam.

The filling of the Sardar Sarovar brings some relief to the state even as the broader storage in Gujarat’s 206 schemes, excluding Sardar Sarovar, until Wednesday, recorded 71.66% storage of their combined capacity. On the same date last year, the storage was 95.79 per cent.

The deficit is especially significant as North Gujarat has currently recorded 46.59% storage as compared to 91.06% in 2025 — a deficit of 44.47 % while Central Gujarat has reduced to 72.19% from 99.42% — a deficit of 27.23 % as compared to last year. South Gujarat, which witnessed floods in Valsad and Surat has recorded 84.65% storage as against 98.29% in 2025 while the most affected region is Kutch with a 51.45% deficit.

The total water storage in Kutch is 32.57% as compared to 84.02% in 2025. Saurashtra at 51.64% in 2026 has a deficit of 37.54% compared to the 89.18% storage recorded last year. The number of completely filled schemes has also fallen dramatically, from 117 in 2025 to just 33 in 2026.

Several individual reservoirs are already close to or at capacity. Damanganga in Valsad was at 99.91%, Karjan in Narmada district at 91.92%, Kadana at 74.33%, and Ukai at 82.84%. However, local water reservoirs in cities such as Vadodara and Ahmedabad have also recorded a deficit.

“There is definitely a water deficit in the local water reservoirs. However, Narmada Dam has reached its FRL and it will ensure we will see through the summer season. With normal rains and almost 95% water storage recorded last year, Narmada Dam remained 64% full at 126.9 meters on July 1, this year, after summer. So the buffer available in the dam (until the dead storage level of 110 meters) will definitely ensure enough supply of drinking water… The decision about irrigation will be taken in March depending on the situation.”

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More