Reviving Rajasthan's Bisalpur Dam through river water of Chambal and Kali Sindh

Bisalpur Dam is one of the biggest dams in Rajasthan. It is a major source of water supply to the population of 90 lakh people from 571 villages and towns of Tonk, Jaipur, Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur, and Dausa districts in Rajasthan. About 925 MLD dam water is being supplied to these areas. The suffusion capacity of the dam is about 315.50 RL meters. But at present, it has between 305 to 311 RLM water. The water of the two rivers flowing on both sides of the dam is used for canal irrigation in the Tonk district. As per the estimation, due to this, over 81,800-hectare land of 256 villages in Tonk district gets irrigated. And as a positive outcome, it has changed the lives of many farmers there. It is pertinent to mention that the Bisalpur dam was completed in 1999 on the Banas River. For the last 22 years, the dam in the years 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016, and 2019 overflowed through sufficient rainwater. After 2019 the catchment area of the Bisalpur dam is facing a scarcity of water due to less rainfall and extreme heat in the state. Also, Tonk is not getting water for irrigation from the dam for the last two years.

With intense heat and weather conditions and after supplying water in villages and towns, now level of water, i.e., roughly about 3-4 cm. water every day is getting reduced from the dam. Presently, the water level in the dam is 34% of the total capacity. Seeing all this, people too might counter the water problem very soon. For maintaining an adequate amount of water level in the Bisalpur Dam even at the time of low rainfall also, the Government of Rajasthan with the Public Health and Engineering Department PHED have initiated the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.  Through this project, the water of the Chambal River in Kota and Kali Sindh River will be used and poured into the Bisalpur and Isarda Dams (located in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur districts). For the project Rs. 11 thousand crores have already been sanctioned. ”It is important to mention that for a long time, the Chambal River has remained a major water source in eastern Rajasthan. Its water has been used for drinking and irrigation purposes across the state on daily basis. Under Easter Rajasthan Canal Project, a barrage or dam will be constructed in Mahalpur and Ramgarh of the Baran district. From here the water will be disbursed to the Navnera Barrage of Kota. The Navnera barrage is under construction and a sum of Rs. 600 crores will be spent to build this dam. From the barrage, water will then flow toward the Chakan Dam, Kumharia, and Galwa Dams in Tonk. Eventually, this water will pour into Isarda and Bisalpur dams. Similarly, Chambal River water will bring and put into the dams through the pipeline.