Ukai reservoir releases 1.75 lakh cusecs water in Tapi river, to be increased up to 1.95 lakh cusecs

Surat: The Tapi river in the diamond city will flow bank-to-bank with the Ukai dam authorities have started releasing about 1.75 lakh cusecs water starting from 4 pm following heavy rain forecast in the dam’s catchment areas due to the impact of the cyclonic storm ‘Gulab’ that hit the coast of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Monday.

The release of 1.75 lakh cusecs water is likely to be increased by up to 1.95 lakh cusecs by late evening, depending upon the rainfall situation in the catchment area.

Official sources said the water level at the Ukai reservoir is 342.23 feet and that the danger level is 345 feet. Due to heavy rains in the catchment area, the release of water from the reservoir was increased from 97,000 cusecs to 1.50 lakh cusecs on Monday afternoon. However, the release of water was increased to 1.75 lakh cusecs and later it was decided to further increase the outflow at 1.95 lakh cusecs. The water released from the Ukai reservoir will take about eight hours to reach Surat city.

Nine gates of the Ukai reservoir were opened for the release of 1.75 lakh cusecs water into the Tapi river. The Tapi river will be seen flowing bank-to-bank by late Monday evening.

The Ukai authorities have decided that depending upon the rainfall conditions in the catchment areas, the release of water from the reservoir will be further increased or decreased by Monday evening.

Following the release of 1.75 lakh cusecs of water, the district administrations of Surat and Tapi have alerted people living in the low-lying areas close to the Tapi river. The officers from all the affected talukas in both the districts are out in the field on inspection and spreading awareness among the villagers residing in the low-lying areas, to shift to safer locations.

Villagers of about 22 villages in Tapi district, close to the Tapi river, were alerted by the Tapi district administration to move to safer places.

Until evening, the Ukai authorities will be releasing 2 lakh cusecs water from the reservoir to maintain the water level at the dam.