Context
Called the ‘lifeline of Gujarat’, the Sardar Sarovar Dam, usually has no water for irrigation during summers.
However, this year, in the ongoing summer, the dam released about 1.3 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water for irrigation between April 1 and May 31 in its command area of 21.29 lakh hectares.
Important details on Sardar Sarovar Dam
- It is a terminal dam built on Narmada at Kevadia in Gujarat’s Narmada district.
- States: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- A vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the foundation stone of the project was laid out by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on April 5, 1961.
- A Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal (NWDT) was created in 1969 to decide the fate of the project which gave its verdict in 1979.
- Accordingly, the 35 billion cubic metres of water available for consumption from the dam, Madhya Pradesh would receive 65 percent, Gujarat 32 percent and Rajasthan and Maharashtra would be eligible for the remaining 3 percent.
- The Planning Commission finally approved the project in 1988.
The status as on date
- As of June 3, the dam had 122.72 metres with live storage of 1,711 million cubic metres.
- The power benefits from the project are to be shared thus: Madhya Pradesh at 57 per cent, Maharashtra at 27 percent, and Gujarat at 16 per cent.
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Narmada Basin
- The total basin area of the river is 97,410 square kilometer comprising
- 85,858 square kilometer in Madhya Pradesh
- 1658 square kilometer in Maharashtra
- 9894 square kilometer in Gujarat
- The drainage area up to dam site is 88,000 square kilometer.
- The mean annual rainfall in the basin is 112 centimeters.
Narmada
- The Narmada, the largest west flowing river of the Peninsula, rises near Amarkantak range of mountains in Madhya Pradesh.
- It is the fifth largest river in the country and the largest one in Gujarat.
- It traverses Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and meets the Gulf of Cambay.
- The total length of the river from source to sea is 1312 kilometers while the length up to dam site is 1163 kilometers.
- The width of the river channel at dam site during high floods is 488 meter and that during summer is 45.70 meter.
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