Four states reach agreement on long-pending Narmada Project matters

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) A decades-old dispute over the rehabilitation of people displaced by the Narmada Project and compensation for land acquired for water-submerged areas has been resolved after Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra reached an agreement on pending issues related to the project.

The agreement was reached in the presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, with the four states bordering the Narmada River agreeing on a mutually accepted settlement of long-pending matters linked to the Narmada Project.

The meeting was attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who represented the four states associated with the Narmada Project.

According to officials, the settlement addresses outstanding issues related to the rehabilitation of people affected by submergence under the project, as well as compensation for land, bringing to an end a dispute that had remained unresolved for decades.

“All four Chief Ministers agreed to the settlement under the leadership and guidance of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” officials said.

Referring to broader efforts to resolve inter-state water disputes, the government said significant progress had recently been made on several long-pending issues.

It cited the consensus reached on the Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project involving Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, as well as the recent agreement between Rajasthan and Haryana to implement the long-pending Upper Yamuna water-sharing arrangement.

The Narmada Project, centred on the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River, is one of India’s largest multipurpose river valley projects.

It provides irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric power to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Over the years, the project has also been the subject of prolonged disputes over rehabilitation, land acquisition, compensation and financial obligations among the participating states.

The latest agreement comes amid a series of Centre-facilitated efforts to resolve inter-state river and water-sharing disputes through negotiated settlements.

Earlier this year, six states reached a consensus on the long-delayed Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project after agreeing on issues related to water allocation, cost-sharing and implementation, while Rajasthan and Haryana signed an agreement to operationalise a 32-year-old Yamuna water-sharing arrangement.

–IANS

mys/dan