Ahmedabad: To save water for drinking and irrigation, the Narmada dam authority has kept six 250-MW hydro-power generating turbines shut for over six months now, causing a sharp drop in power generation as against an all-time high record achieved in 2013-14, an official said.

The six River Bed Power House (RBPH) turbines, which are situated on the bed of Narmada river downstream of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in Narmada district, have been out of operation since October last year due to poor rainfall recorded last year. This was done to save water for supply to Gujarat and Rajasthan during scarcity this summer for drinking purpose, the official said. This is said to be one of the longest periods at a stretch that the RBPH has remained out of operation due to water shortage in Gujarat.