Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar wants state government to oppose Gujarat government’s move to get permission from Narmada Control Authority to lower the water level in Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) below minimum draw down level (MDDL) and thus draw water through irrigation bypass tunnel.
Gujarat government has submitted an application to Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to get the permission as a special case. If the permission is granted, this will be disastrous for Madhya Pradesh and also pose a threat to existence of Narmada river.
Talking to newspersons here on Monday, Patkar said, “Gujarat government has requested NCA for both the issue. The NCA has convened a meeting on Tuesday. If Madhya Pradesh government remains mute spectator, river water level will go down further.
“Narmada is already dying in the state due to illegal mining and low rainfall. Many cities like Bhopal and Indore are not getting adequate water from Narmada river and after it, situation will be worse. MP Government is expected to oppose it,” she added.
She further said that NCA admitted that 2700-hectare forest destroyed in MP and 6488 hectare forest destroyed in Maharashtra for which Gujarat government was to give compensation but it was not done. Similarly, MP has to recover Rs 7,000 crore for rehabilitation and Rs 1100 crore for construction of 100 bridges and roads.
Review Committee for Narmada Control Authority (RCNCA), in its meeting on August 18,2001, decided that Gujarat government should pay compensation. Secondly, reservoirs water level should not deplete below MDDL of EL 110.64 metre. NCA should evolve a mechanism to control and ensure that reservoir water is not drawn through the IBPT below MDDL.
The NCA in its 90th meeting on February 9, 2018, requested Gujarat government to counter drought like situation by utilising water through IBPT by drawing water below MDDL(110.64m). Government of MP and Government of Maharashtra expressed no objection on utilisation of their unutilised share available at SSP by GoG.
The MP government demanded Rs 904 crore against total loss in power generation during 2017-18 and 2019-2020.
