India, Aug. 4 -- The Shankarrao Chavan Vishnupuri dam in Nanded district of Maharashtra, built on the Godavari river, has reached 97 % of its storage capacity following heavy rains, an official said on Monday.

One of the gates of the dam, which serves as the primary source of drinking water for Nanded city and supports irrigation across multiple tehsils in the central Maharashtra district, is being opened at late Monday night to release excess water, he said.

The gate will discharge water at a rate of 458 cubic metres per second (cumec), equivalent to around 16,173 cusecs, the official informed.

The water level in the dam, a major lift irrigation project, continues to rise due to incessant rainfall in its catchment area. Considering th...