Udaipur: Rajasthan’s Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Gopalan, and Devasthan Departments, Joraram Kumawat, visited the tribal-dominated Kotda region of Udaipur district on Monday. During the visit, he conducted a detailed inspection of the ongoing work to widen the long-awaited Sei Dam tunnel in the presence of officials from the Water Resources Department.

The Minister personally entered the tunnel to review the progress of construction and sought detailed information from officials regarding the work completed so far, the remaining excavation, and the technical aspects of concrete lining.

₹100 Crore Allocated for the Project; 95% Work Completed
Minister Kumawat informed that the state government has allocated ₹100 crore for widening the 6.7-kilometre-long tunnel that carries surplus water from the Sei Dam to the Jawai Dam. The project has been underway for the past three years, and approximately 95 percent of the work has already been completed.

Only 90 metres of tunnel work remains, and officials have been instructed to ensure its completion by July 15 under all circumstances. He emphasized that the government is undertaking large-scale efforts to address the water crisis in Western Rajasthan and that no compromise would be tolerated in construction quality. He also directed officials to ensure strict safety measures for engineers and workers operating inside the tunnel.

Water Discharge Capacity to Increase Fourfold; Jawai Dam to Fill in 22 Days
The Cabinet Minister stated that upon completion of the expansion, the tunnel’s water discharge capacity will increase from 328 cusecs to 1,376 cusecs—more than four times its current capacity. This enhancement will prevent surplus monsoon water from flowing wastefully into Gujarat and will instead benefit the districts of Pali, Sirohi, and Jalore.

At present, due to the tunnel’s limited capacity, it takes approximately 45 to 50 days for water from the Sei Dam to reach the Jawai Dam. Once the project is completed, the same volume of water—about 74 MCFT—will reach the Jawai Dam in just 22 days, providing significant relief to the region.

A Lifeline Project for Marwar
The Sei Dam and its tunnel are regarded as a lifeline for the Marwar region, particularly Pali district. Water from the Sei Dam in Kotda is diverted through this tunnel into the Jawai Dam, which serves as a major source of drinking water for large parts of Pali and Jodhpur districts.

Currently, because of the tunnel’s limited carrying capacity, excess monsoon water from the Sei Dam flows into Gujarat. The widening of the tunnel will significantly enhance water flow, prevent wastage of valuable monsoon water, and enable the Jawai Dam to be filled more quickly and efficiently. This is expected to provide a long-term solution to drinking water and irrigation challenges across Pali and the wider Marwar region.

Eco-Tourism and Beautification Plans
Minister Kumawat also announced plans to develop the Sei Dam area as an eco-tourism and local tourism destination. Under the proposed initiative, the natural beauty of the dam and its surroundings will be leveraged to create and expand tourist facilities and infrastructure.

Among those present during the inspection were Farmers’ Struggle Committee President Jayendra Singh Galthani, Anop Singh Rathore, Poonam Singh Parmar, Nimbeshwar Mahadev Trust President Jagat Singh, Shivraj Singh Bithiya, Sumerpur Nagar Mandal President Ravikant Rawal, and several other local representatives and community members.

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