Gujarat To Push For Bigger Share Of Narmada Waters As 45-Yr Allocation Period Nears End

According to the officials, Gujarat’s push for the demand for a larger share is fuelled by “consistent full utilisation” of its share.

Gujarat News: As the 45-year allocation period is set to end on December 12, Gujarat is likely to request a bigger share of the Narmada River waters from Madhya Pradesh, citing rising demands for agriculture and industry, two officials of the western state said, as reported by Hindustan Times.

According to the officials, Gujarat’s push for the demand for a larger share is fuelled by “consistent full utilisation” of its share, while Madhya Pradesh has been utilising less than half of its quota. In December 1979, the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) allocated the river waters to four states.

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, according to the Hindustan Times report. 

Around 71.38 lakh hectares of the area was to be irrigated. The state further sought an additional MAF for drinking water and industrial purposes, keeping 2001 projections in consideration.

As far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned, the state initially demanded 24.079 MAF, including 23.279 MAF for irrigation and 0.80 MAF for household and industrial purposes. The final allocation, however, in December 1979 was significantly different 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, as per the HT report.

The allocation made back then was based on several factors, including catchment area, scarcity-hit regions, and contribution to the river’s flow. The 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,” he said, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

According to the NCA, Gujarat made use of 9.21 MAF out of 11.27 MAF allocated to it in 2022–23, and Madhya Pradesh utilised 8.84 MAF of its 22.85 MAF share.

According to officials, MP’s under-utilisation has been consistent. In 2020-21. The state used 9.39 MAF out of 24.61 MAF. Gujarat officials made an argument that the western state has made use of the full allocation of waters allotted to it and at times exceeded it.

The NCA is an inter-state body with representatives from four states and the central government. It 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. It is the country's third-highest concrete dam. Globally, the dam is the second in terms of concrete volume for gravity dams, with a spillway discharge capacity of 30.7 lakh cusecs.

The dam’s height was raised to 110.64 metres by June 2004, when Narendra Modi was the Gujarat chief minister. The dam has played a pivotal role in water management for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. 

According to officials, the upcoming negotiations for Narmada waters redistribution will play a key role in shaping the strategies for the management of the region in the coming decades. The officials further stated that the reallocation will have implications for agriculture, industry, and overall development in the four states involved.