Context:
Following rainfall in its upper catchment areas, the authorities recently discharged 1.19 lakh cusecs of water from the Ukai Dam, bringing the water level in the dam just five feet below the danger mark of 345 feet.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Ukai Dam:
- The Ukai Dam, also called Vallabh Sagar, spans the Tapti River and ranks as the second largest reservoir in Gujarat, next only to the Sardar Sarovar.
- Built in 1972, the dam is primarily used for irrigation, power generation, and managing flood risks.
- The dam’s storage capacity represents nearly 46% of the combined capacity of Gujarat’s dams, comparable to Bhakra Nangal Dam.
- This hybrid earth-cum-masonry dam extends nearly 4,927 meters in length. The height of the earth dam is 80.77 meters, with the masonry portion standing at 68.68 meters.
Tapti River:
- Tapti is among the major rivers in peninsular India and is one of the three principal rivers, alongside Narmada and Mahi, flowing east to west.
- Originating from the Gawilgarh Hills in central Deccan plateau of Madhya Pradesh, it traverses west through the Satpura Range splits, crosses Maharashtra’s Jalgaon plateau, and passes through Surat in Gujarat to reach the Gulf of Khambhat.
- The river stretches over 700 kilometers (435 miles) with a catchment area of approximately 65,145 square kilometers, with 80% of it in Maharashtra.
- Flanked by the Saputara mountains to the north and the Ajanta and Satmala ranges to the south, with the Mahadeva range to the east, it runs parallel and close to the Narmada River, separated by the main Satpura Range.
- Tributaries: Major tributaries include the Purna, Girna, Panzara, Waghur, Bori, and Aner rivers, contributing to its vast network.
-Source: The Hindu
