Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): As many as 13 sluice gates of Jabalpur’s Bargi Dam were opened after continuous rainfall in the district, leading to increased inflow of water into the reservoir, on Thursday.
The gates were raised to a height of 1.96 metres, releasing nearly 3,802 cubic metres of water per second. Meanwhile, the dam received around 4,215 cubic metres of water per second.
The dam held 3,090.50 million cubic metres of water and was 97.18% full. Its water level reached 422.35 metres, close to its full reservoir level of 422.76 metres.
Dams turns tourist attraction
The release of water was expected to raise the level at the Narmada ghats by seven to eight feet. The administration issued an alert for riverside areas and asked residents to stay away from the ghats and riverbanks.
Several tourists reached the dam to watch water being released through its gates.
Authorities asked visitors to remain cautious and follow safety instructions.
13 gates opened two weeks ago
As many as 13 gates of the Bargi Dam were opened amid heavy rainfall in Jabalpur and its catchment areas on Friday. The gates were raised to 2.15 metres, releasing 3,988 cubic metres of water per second into the Narmada River. The river’s water level was expected to rise by eight to 10 feet.
Heavy rainfall inundated Bhedaghat, a popular tourist destination known for its marble rocks and Dhuandhar Falls. The municipal council removed shops from the area and asked shopkeepers to stay away until the situation returned to normal.
SDRF and NDRF teams, local divers and civil defence personnel were deployed to monitor the situation and prevent accidents. Earlier on Tuesday, authorities had opened nine dam gates to release 1,031 cubic metres of water per second.
