Saurastra Canal

Saurastra Branch Canal

The Saurashtra Branch Canal is the largest branch canal of Narmada Project Canal System, which offtakes from Narmada Main Canal at Ch. 263.20 km near Kadi, Dist.: Mehsana and has a length of 104.46 km and it tails in Bhogavo-II Irrigation Scheme (Dholi Dhaja Dam) near Surendranagar. The Saurashtra Branch Canal is quite a large system but in addition the system is complex and unique in nature that involves the alignment of canal through a constantly falling ground in more than half of it's initial reach and in the subsequent reach, it has a rising ground to traverse through to reach Bhogavo-II Irrigation Scheme where it tails. While doing so, it falls through 53.22 m upto Ch. 59.49 km and rises by 66.43 m before tailing into Dholi Dhaja Dam.

It is proposed to generate hydropower at three locations and then pump the water in five stages from lowest point into the canal and sub branches on way and ultimately into Wadhwan Bhogavo-II Reservoir at the tail. The Saurashtra Branch Canal passes through Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Surendranagar District. The capacity of Saurashtra Branch Canal at head is 424.80 m3/s (15000 cusecs). The section of the Saurashtra Branch Canal at the head reach is 38.00 m x 5.75 m (FSD) with side slope of 2:1. The gradient of the Saurashtra Branch Canal is 1 in 10000. The details of Sub Branches offtaking from the Saurashtra Branch Canal are as under: -

On Saurashtra branch Canal three falls of 10.91 m magnitude are to be provided in the reach 0 to 59.49 km of falling limb, approximate 48 MW capacity is planned to be generated at 3 falls. For lifting the water in the rising limb SBC between Ch.59 to 104.46 km approximate 276 MW of electricity will be consumed. The details of power stations and pumping stations are as below: