End of a 40-yr wait.

(From Indian Express)

In Gujarat, that hasn't had a reason to cheer in a long time now, water from Narmada river is now providing succour to the parched Saurashtra. For Lathi taluka in Amreli district and other areas of Saurashtra, 550 km from Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam at Navagam in Narmada district, the wait has been 40 years long. A spate in the Narmada river due to heavy rainfall in catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh has ensured that the dam, 98-metre-high at present, is overflowing. The state government promptly raised the gates of the Irrigation Bypass Tunnel on the left side of dam higher. And now, with water abundant in the main canal, the SSNNL has filled up all major reservoirs along the canal route, opened gates of linking canals and diverted water into local networks. The result is for all to see: Narmada water is being distributed for drinking and irrigation in 145 of 222 talukas, five of the six municipal corporation areas and 15 of the 25 districts. According to Narmada Project Executive Engineer Ashok Gajjar, between 8,500 and 9,000 cusecs of Narmada water - equivalent to Sabarmati river flowing a little less than halfway mark at Nehru Bridge - is spilling into the Narmada main canal. On Friday, the Irrigation Bypass Tunnel was ...