For the first time, the Gandhi Sagar Dam on the Chambal River will release six feet of water in May, ahead of the monsoon season. Around 892 million cubic meters (MCM) of water will flow from Gandhi Sagar to Rana Pratap Sagar Dam. This move is linked to a pump storage plant project under construction in Gandhi Sagar. To make way for this, the dam will be emptied and later refilled.
The Madhya Pradesh government had requested this release to facilitate work on its pump storage project. In response, the Rajasthan government has approved the lowering of the Gandhi Sagar water level. The discharge is expected to begin next week.
Once water is transferred, electricity generation will take place at both Gandhi Sagar and Rana Pratap Sagar. Combined, the two hydroelectric stations will produce 20 lakh units of electricity daily. Water will first be released after power generation and, if required, through the dam’s gates.
On March 29, Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department wrote to the Rajasthan government, asking them to lower the Gandhi Sagar water level to support the pump storage project. As of April 25, the dam’s water level stood at 395.003 meters (1295.42 feet), about 17 feet below its full capacity of 1312 feet. The total storage capacity of the dam is 7164.94 MCM.
Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat said the decision reflects mutual cooperation and long-term planning between the two states. He emphasized that coordination on water management would continue in the future.
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