Meanwhile, police have been deployed along the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) and scores of pipelines installed by farmers to draw water from the canal have been removed as the SSNNL is trying to fill up the Tappar dam to meet drinking water requirements of the arid Kutch district.
“If the situation continues this way with less rain in the neighbouring state and increasing demand in the rain deficit districts here in Gujarat, we are looking at the possibility of a drinking water crisis in the coming days.
As far as the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) is concerned, it was after orders from the state government, the SSNNL started discharging water in the KBC from August 4 and officers said that as of Friday, 30 million cubic feet (mcft) water had already been released the Tappar dam near Anjar in Kutch.
SSNNL officers said that therefore they had to take precautionary measures to ensure that water reaches the Tappar dam for drinking purpose.
“While we hope that it will rain in the coming days, we are releasing water in Tappar dam to ensure enough supply of drinking water in Kutch.
Rapar and Lakhpat talukas have received almost no rain so far while Abdasa, Bhachau, Mundra and Nakhatrana have recorded around one inch rain so far.
The district as a whole has received merely 11 per cent of its average rainfall so far.
South Gujarat, which saw maximum rainfall this monsoon, has reported a sowing deficit of 21 per cent and less rainfall by 26 per cent.
Kutch has been worst-affect district in Gujarat, receiving just 11.08 per cent of its average annual rainfall.
This summer, Gujarat went through a severe water crisis when the water level in the Narmada dam reservoir fell below 110 metres – the live storage level, forcing the government to draw dead water through the Irrigation By-Pass Tunnel (IBPT) in February to meet drinking water needs.