All 14 gates of Totladoh dam opened
| Date :12-Sep-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
All the 14 gates of Totladoh Dam were lifted on Wednesday evening to release water as the storage level rose to 97 per cent of its designed capacity. The gates were lifted by 30 cms each allowing discharge of 120 Cumsec (cubic metre/sec), said J B Turkhede, Executive Engineer, Pench Irrigation Project. Earlier taking into account future inflow, Irrigation Department had decided about opening of only four of the 14 gates. Thereafter rest of the gates were lifted at 6 pm taking into account inflow and discharge rate was also slowly opened taking into account stability of the dam.
The live storage capacity of Totladoh Dam is 1016.93 MM3, while total designed stocking capacity of the dam is 1017 MM3. Earlier, Avinash Surve, Executive Director, VIDC, and Secretary, Water Resources Department (WRD), informed The Hitavada that it was decided to release water from Totladoh considering the massive build-up in the dam. The district administration was kept in loop about the situation and added they were estimating release of 443 Cumsec, including 120 Cumsec through generation. Total discharge would be of 563 Cumsec. To a question, Turkhede who is actively monitoring the situation, said they are targeting gradual release of water from Totladoh keeping an eye on the position in upstream Machagora Dam at Chourai region of Madhya Pradesh.
Officials of Irrigation Department officials of MP are slowly lowering doors on their side hence inflow would reduce by Wednesday evening. Hence keeping that in mind decision on closure of Totladoh's gates could be taken by Irrigation Department. Around midnight the position would become clear and then decision about keeping the Totladoh gates open, reduce its height or total closure would be decided. The water released from Totladoh moves into Kamti Khairy which by Wednesday evening was filled to nearly 70 per cent of its total capacity. The decision about lifting its gates would be taken if the water level there increased sharply. Within last one month the inflow in Totladoh Dam increased manifold leading to highest ever water stock of five years. The situation changed so dramatically that at one time NMC had to go for cuts in drinking water supply to city. Now given the massive build-up for next two years atleast there should not be any problem for Nagpurians as to drinking water supply. Same holds true for power generation, especially where water requirement is increasing with commissioning of super critical technology generation sets at Koradi plant. Due to lesser storage they were sourcing water from Western Coalfileds Limited (WCL) mines.
Farmers to get water in Rabi, Kharif season Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, talking to newspersons on Wednesday, said that the farmers would get water from Totladoh during the Rabi and next Kharif season. Due to low stock the administration has kept sufficient reserve to meet drinking water needs that led to anger among farmers, particularly those growing paddy during Rabi season. But with sufficient water stock even farmers would get their due share from Totladoh, the Minister added. Similarly, district administration is ready to tackle any situation arising out of release of water from Totladoh Dam. Decision on lifting gates of Kampti Khairy would be taken if needed and the water form it would be released in Kanhan. District Collector Ashwin Mudgal who was present during the interaction said that 70 to 80 villages along side Kanhan river could face problems due to release of water from Kampti Khairy. There already alert is sounded by the administration and our disaster relief machinery is also ready. Bawankule was talking to newspersons on sidelines of the meeting of District Planning Committee (DPC). The release of water from Khairy would be staged to avoid flooding of canals as it may lead to flooding of adjoining farms.