(Feature Image: Surwal dam flood creates a huge crater in Jarwata village in Sawai Madhopur)
Overflowing of Surwal dam in Rajasthan has severely affected over a dozen villages for more than three days. The dam in Sawai Madhopur district overflowed following excessive rainfall on Aug 22-24, 2025[i]. The Surwal, Mainpura, Jarwata were among the most affected villages where several houses were submerged under 3-5 feet flood water damaging foodgrains and other essential items.
At least 13 people have been reported dead in the district in this flood episode.
Hundreds of villagers were forced to took refuge on rooftops for a couple of days. Large area of farmlands with crops were inundated. The power supply in the affected villages was disconnected making the lives of villagers miserable. The flood also waterlogged part of Kota-Lalsot highway disrupting vehicular movement. Rainwater runoff from Bhagwatgarh side in North of Surwal further aggravated the flood situation.
The dam induced flood caused severe land erosion in Jarwata village located near the Banas River. The deluge formed about a 2 km long, 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep crater through the populated areas of the village. 2 homes, 2 shops and 2 temples collapsed in the land cavity formed. Many other homes in the village developed cracks and became unstable. About 25 beegha of farm lands along with the Guava orchards and crops were affected by the caving in of the land.
The district administration, police and SDRF team reached the area on Aug 24. The situation was so grim that army was also called in to evacuate affected villages from flooded areas.
4 feet water sheet was flowing through the Surwal dam as per reports, but it was not clear if it meant that the dam overflowed by 4 feet. As per the villagers, the irrigation department failed to divert dam’s water into canals which were running dry. They also stated that the encroachments in dam’s downstream areas have affected the drainage system compounding flooding problem.
In a related incident, about 7 member of a NDRF team were injured when a tractor trapped in flood water lost balance on Aug 23 morning. The team was heading to Surwal village to rescue the villagers. The injured members were admitted in Sawai Madhopur district hospital.
Similarly, 10 local people were washed away in a boat capsize incident in Surwal dam area on Aug 22. The incident happened in afternoon after sudden rise in the dam’s water levels. The locals had entered into the reservoir for fishing. Of the 10 people, 9 were rescued while 1 remained missing. The dead body of the missing person identified as Ratanlal, former village head of Mau Sunari village was found next day from a canal in Mau village.
Opposition to Raising Dam’s Hight
Interestingly only on Aug 18, villagers had organized a large gathering (Maha Panchayat) in Ghudasi village against raising of Surwal dam’s height from 11 to 15 feet without consultation and compensation. The villagers stated that increasing of the dam’s height has been submerging farmlands of dozens of upstream villages. They demanded reducing dam’s height back to 11 feet. They warned if the demand is not met, they would intensify the protest.
Just two weeks ago, the villagers of Atun Kalan, Ghudasi and Mathurapur had submitted a memorandum to district collector demanding reduction in dam’s height. They stated that about 2000 bighas of farmlands were submerged in dam’s water in 2024 causing huge financial losses to the farmers. They also demanded compensation against the crops damaged by the submergence.
This Aug 24 video report shows an ongoing meeting of villagers raising concerns against increase in the dam’s height. Villagers alleged that the act has raised dam’s submergence area upto the Ghudasi road and railway tracks at Khedli. As per them the submergence and seepages from the dam have been affecting farm lands in both upstream and downstream areas.
About Surwal Dam
A page of India WRIS data on Dams in Rajasthan at serial number 212 shares that the 3390 meter long earthen dam with 32 meter maximum height above the foundation was built on Gambhir river/ local nala in 1958 for irrigation near Surwal village in Sawai Madhopur district. The storage capacity of the Surwal dam, described as one of the four medium dams in the district, is 917.60 mcft and the full tank gauge level is at 15 feet as mentioned at page number 10 of Sawai Madhopur Disaster Management Plan 2023. Dhuman and Latiya drains in Banas basin are the source of inflows to the Surwal dam. The dam is located at Gothara village as per the DDMP 2023. Page 12 of DDMP says the irrigated area of the dam is 4848 ha.
While DDMP mentions that there has been no dam related disaster in the district so far, we hope after this disaster the state government will institute an independent inquiry to understand reasons and impacts related to this disaster and also suggest lessons and ways to fix accountability as necessary. It will also provide an opportunity to review the disaster potential in the context of changing climate, particularly intensification of rainfall in Eastern Rajasthan.
SANDRP
[i] According to IMD’s Daily district wise rainfall bulletins, Sawai Madhopur district had rainfall of 99 mm, 56.3 mm and 94.7 mm for 24 hours ending at 0830 hours on Aug 22, 23 and 24 respectively. Cumulatively, in 72 hours ending at 0830 hrs on Aug 24, the district had 250 mm rainfall, which is almost 100 times its normal rainfall of 25.2 mm for these three days. By Aug 25, the district had 1152.5 mm rainfall since beginning of SW Monsoon (June 1) 2025, compared to normal rainfall of 547.2. The actual rainfall is already 111% above the normal rainfall in the district.
During 2024 monsoon, Sawai Madhopur district received1285.6 mm rainfall, which was 94% above the normal district monsoon rainfall of 661.5 mm, as per IMD’s monsoon 2024 report.
The district also had high rainfall days on July 6 (80.7 mm), July 19 (80 mm) and July 30 (137.3 mm) rainfall.
SANDRP 