Authorities release water from Panchna Dam for farmers in Karauli

The authorities on Monday released water from the Panchna Dam in eastern Rajasthan for irrigation in Karauli district, fulfilling a long-pending demand of farmers in the region.

Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Suresh Singh Rawat and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedam opened three gates of the 258.62-metre-high dam during a brief ceremony.

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The water is being released on a trial basis to test the canal distribution system. Later, three more gates may be opened to increase the discharge from the reservoir.

Panchna Dam, the largest clay-and-boulder/cobble-stone dam in the region, has a full reservoir level (FRL) of 258.62 metres.

Built near Gudla village, about 10 km from Karauli town, the dam is situated on the Gambhiri River and stores floodwaters from the Gambhiri and its tributaries — Bhadrawati, Barkheda, Machki, Bhaisawat and Ataki.

Farmers from around 35–40 villages in the district had not been receiving irrigation water from the dam due to a two-decade-old dispute between farmers in the command area and residents of the catchment area. They had been staging intermittent protests demanding the release of water.

The long-standing dispute has now been resolved with the release of water from the dam.