Vadodara: The water released into Ajwa Reservoir from a Narmada branch canal at the instance of the elected representatives in the city may not be a freebie. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) may have to pay a hefty sum towards the water it receives.
The water in the reservoir was depleting consistently and during a recent visit to the city deputy chief minister Nitin Patel was requested to ensure that water was released into the reservoir from the Rampura Narmada branch canal. The canal is located close to the reservoir.
From Tuesday, the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) has been releasing water into the canal at a rate of 20 cubic feet per second (cusec). The total inflow from the canal is around 48 million litres per day (MLD).
Sources said that a letter from the SSNNL had mentioned the rate at which water is provided from the canal. “Going by this rate, the cost of water supplied to us would be around Rs 1.5lakh per day. While this might seem higher, the fact is that the amount is not exorbitant when one considers the VMC budget,” said an official. Also, the civic body will only have to foot the bill for a couple of months till monsoon.
At the other end, officials also said that the quantity of water being received from the canal was not sufficient. “We need around 145MLD water to ensure that our need is taken care of. Despite the inflow from the canal, water level is consistently depleting in the reservoir,” said the official.