The Gujarat Government is working on Narmada water management well ahead of summer to ensure adequate availability of drinking water in the State till the arrival of monsoon.
Gujarat’s Chief Secretary JN Singh said the inflow of water in Narmada was lower due to weak monsoon from the upper catchment region of Madhya Pradesh. The State is fully dependent on Sardar Sarovar Dam constructed on River Narmada at Kevadiya Colony.
According to Singh, there will be no water to irrigate summer crops from March 15 this year. Narmada Dam is considered as the ‘Lifeline of Gujarat’. The multi-purpose mega irrigation project of Sardar Sarovar Dam is being seen as panacea of all water problems in the State, including that of drinking and irrigation water.
As per the formula worked out for distribution of water from the project, the four beneficiary States of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are allotted 28 million acre feet (MAF) of water in Sardar Sarovar dam. Of this, MP has been allotted 18.25 MAF, Rajasthan 0.5 MAF, Maharashtra 0.25 MAF and Gujarat 9.34 MAF.
Of Gujarat’s 9.34 MAF, 1.06 MAF water is for non-irrigation purpose (0.86 MAF for drinking and 0.2 MAF for industry) and 7.94 MAF for agriculture. Over time, the need for drinking water has risen to 1.29 MAF.
“The Narmada Control Authority in its last meeting fixed the quota of water for Gujarat at 4.71 MAF. Meeting drinking water needs is our priority and the supply to industry will also be lowered to 0.06 MAF,” said the Chief Secretary.