Jul 23, 2024 09:16 AM IST
Gujarat is expected to cite surging demands for agriculture and industry to request the larger share of the Narmada River waters from Madhya Pradesh
Gujarat is expected to request a larger share of the Narmada River waters from Madhya Pradesh citing surging demands for agriculture and industry as the 45-year allocation period is due to end on December 12, two officials of the western state said. The push is fuelled by Gujarat’s “consistent full utilisation” of its share while Madhya Pradesh has been using less than half of its quota, the officials insisted.
The Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) allocated the river waters to four states in December 1979. Gujarat had sought 22.02 Million Acre Feet (MAF) of water, including 20.73 MAF for irrigation to cover a gross command area of 126.26 lakh hectares. As much as 71.38 lakh hectares of the area was to be irrigated. An additional MAF was sought for drinking water and industrial purposes considering projections for 2001.
Madhya Pradesh initially demanded 24.079 MAF, including 23.279 MAF for irrigation and 0.80 MAF for household and industrial purposes. The final allocation in December 1979 differed significantly from the requests.
The NWDT allocated Madhya Pradesh 18.25 MAF, Gujarat 9 MAF, Rajasthan 0.50 MAF, and Maharashtra 0.25 MAF for 45 years based on factors including catchment area, scarcity-hit regions, and contribution to the river’s flow. Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has since used the formula for annual allocation decisions.
A Gujarat government official said Madhya Pradesh has been using less than 10 MAF on average. “Gujarat requires an additional 8-9 MAF. We will put our demand before the tribunal after the December deadline is over.”
According to NCA, Gujarat used 9.21 MAF out of 11.27 MAF allocated to it in 2022-23. Madhya Pradesh utilised 8.84 MAF of its 22.85 MAF share. Officials said Madhya Pradesh’s under-utilisation has been consistent. In 2020-21, it used 9.39 MAF out of 24.61 MAF. Gujarat officials argued the western state has used its full allocation and sometimes exceeded it.
HT reviewed a copy of the Gujarat government’s internal presentation for its proposed demands before NWDT even as an official said the state must address proper flood management as it prepares to seek additional water. Heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh in September 2023 prompted the opening of multiple dam gates.
The NCA, an inter-state body with representatives from four states and the central government, was established in December 1980 to execute the tribunal’s directives.
The Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat’s Kevadia is a crucial component of the river. An engineering marvel, it is India’s third-highest concrete dam. Globally, it is the second in terms of concrete volume for gravity dams with a spillway discharge capacity of 30.7 lakh cusecs, the third-highest worldwide.
The dam’s height was raised to 110.64 meters by June 2004 when Narendra Modi was the Gujarat chief minister. Pending approvals, including permission to install gates on the Narmada dam, were expedited when Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014.
The dam has been pivotal to water management for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone for it in 1961. NCA in 2017 granted permission to close the sluice gates, allowing the reservoir to reach its full height of 138.68 metres. Later that year, Modi inaugurated the completed dam.
Officials said the upcoming negotiations for Narmada waters redistribution will be critical in shaping the region’s management strategies for decades. They added the reallocation will have implications for agriculture, industry, and overall development in the four states involved.
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