Gujarat 24% water deficit compared to 2025, but its biggest dam Narmada is full

Gujarat's lifeline, the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district, reached its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 138.68 metres on Wednesday evening with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performing the traditional aarti at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) to mark the reservoir filling to capacity.

The FRL reached after steady inflow into the reservoir from the catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh since mid-August. With Sardar Sarovar Dam reaching its FRL, the state now has a substantially stronger water storage even as the water-resources data shows an overall deficit of about 3,800 MCM or 24.13% lower as compared to the figures last year.

The Sardar Sarovar reservoir had reached 138.59 metres on Wednesday morning, with gross storage of 9,431.01 million cubic metres (MCM), or 99.69% of its gross capacity.

During the day, the dam reached the FRL as CM Patel, Lok Sabha MP Mansukh Vasava, Nandod MLA Dr Darshana Deshmukh and BJP Narmada District President Shabdasharan Tadvi, along with officials, performed the aarti at the dam.

51.45% deficit in Kutch, 37% in Saurashtra

The filling of the Sardar Sarovar brings some relief to the state even as the broader storage in Gujarat's 206 schemes, excluding Sardar Sarovar, until Wednesday, recorded 71.66% storage of their combined capacity. On the same date last year, the storage was 95.79 per cent.

The deficit is especially significant as North Gujarat has currently recorded 46.59% storage as compared to 91.06% in 2025 -- a deficit of 44.47 % while Central Gujarat has reduced to 72.19% from 99.42% -- a deficit of 27.23 % as compared to last year. South Gujarat, which witnessed floods in Valsad and Surat has recorded 84.65% storage as against 98.29% in 2025 while the most affected region is Kutch with a 51.45% deficit.

The total water storage in Kutch is 32.57% as compared to 84.02% in 2025. Saurashtra at 51.64% in 2026 has a deficit of 37.54% compared to the 89.18% storage recorded last year. The number of completely filled schemes has also fallen dramatically, from 117 in 2025 to just 33 in 2026.

Several individual reservoirs are already close to or at capacity. Damanganga in Valsad was at 99.91%, Karjan in Narmada district at 91.92%, Kadana at 74.33%, and Ukai at 82.84%. However, local water reservoirs in cities such as Vadodara and Ahmedabad have also recorded a deficit.

"There is definitely a water deficit in the local water reservoirs. However, Narmada Dam has reached its FRL and it will ensure we will see through the summer season. With normal rains and almost 95% water storage recorded last year, Narmada Dam remained 64% full at 126.9 meters on July 1, this year, after summer. So the buffer available in the dam (until the dead storage level of 110 meters) will definitely ensure enough supply of drinking water... The decision about irrigation will be taken in March depending on the situation."