ParTapi Narmada river-linking project

ParTapi Narmada river-linking project

Subject: Geography

Section: Mapping

Context: The tribals in Gujarat held a public meeting in Kaprada in Valsad district to protest against the Centre’s Par Tapi Narmada (PTN) river-linking project.

Reason for Protest:

• According to a report by the NWDA, about 6065 ha of land area will be submerged due to the proposed reservoirs. A total of 61 villages will be affected, of which one will be fully submerged and the remaining 60 partly.
• The districts where the project will be implemented are largely dominated, by tribals who fear displacement.

Timeline of the Project:

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Gujarat, Maharashtra and the central government on May 3, 2010, that envisaged that Gujarat would get the benefit of the Par Tapi Narmada link project through en-route irrigation from the link canal and in the drought-prone Saurashtra Kutch region by way of substitution.
• Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project was prepared by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) in 2015 and modified on the intervention of the Gujarat government, through letters the then chief minister wrote in 2016
• Gujarat government had, in December 2016, proposed providing a pipeline system instead of open canals to “avoid/minimise the land acquisition in tribal areas” as well as to reduce evaporation and seepage losses.
• Recently, Finance Minister in her Budget Speech said that five river linking projects will be taken up after consensus among states – it includes Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project

About Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project:

• Par Tapi Narmada Link proposes to transfer water from the water surplus regions of Western Ghats to the water deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch (Gujarat).
• It proposes to link three rivers — Par, originating from Nashik in Maharashtra, Tapi from Saputara and Narmada originating in Madhya Pradesh.
• The link mainly includes the construction of seven dams(Jheri, Mohankavchali, Paikhed, Chasmandva, Chikkar, Dabdar and Kelwan), three diversion weirs (Paikhed, Chasmandva, and Chikkar dams), two tunnels (5.0 kilometers and 0.5 kilometers length).
• 395-kilometre long canal (205 kilometre in Par-Tapi portion including the length of feeder canals and 190 km in Tapi-Narmada portion), and six powerhouses.

About Narmada River

• The Narmada River is also known as the Rewa River.
• Narmada is the largest west flowing river of the peninsular region flowing through a rift valley between the Vindhya Range on the north and the Satpura Range on the south.
• It rises from Maikala range near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.
• It drains a large area in Madhya Pradesh besides some areas in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• The river near Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) forms the DhuanDhar Falls.
• There are several islands in the estuary of the Narmada of which Aliabet is the largest.
• Major Tributaries: Hiran, Orsang, the Barna and the Kolar.
• The major Hydro Power Projects in the basin are Indira Sagar, Sardar Sarovar

About Tapi River

• The Tapi River is located in Madhya Pradesh.
• It originates from the Multai reserve forest.
• The river is flowing through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
• Kakrapar Dam, Ukai Dam, Girna Dam are the major projects on this river.
• The Suki, the Gomai, the Arunavati, the Vaghur, the Amravati, the Purna, the Mona, and the Sipna are the major tributaries of Tapti River.