Madhya Pradesh threatens to restrict Narmada water; don't play politics, warns CM Vijay Rupani

The Gujarat government on Saturday warned Madhya Pradesh not to play politics over Narmada water and that both were bound by the ruling of the Supreme Court and the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) in the matter.

Earlier in the day, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said that the Congress government in MP was playing politics over the issue and it showed lack of understanding of the legal agreement reached under the NCA.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Patel were forced to comment after Madhya Pradesh Minister for Narmada Valley Development Surendra Singh Baghel threatened not to release water from the Narmada dam. He accused the neighbouring state and the Centre of not addressing the concerns about the project-affected people. He also said that Gujarat was not serious about meetings under the NCA to help rehabilitate those hit by the project. Baghel had also accused Gujarat of not releasing water for power generation.

Patel clarified that under the NCA agreement the water could be released for power generation only after it reached a level of 131 metres in the dam and that the state had already paid Rs400 crore to rehabilitate the project-affected people.

"We will get our share of Narmada water that is due to us. It doesn't befit the Congress to keep aside the entire interest of the nation to play politics over water," said Rupani.

"The party is unable to digest its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and is now coming up with ways to politicise matters that have already been decided," said Rupani. "The water is being distributed as per the share decided by the NCA and no state can suddenly decide to change it."

Rupani clarified that the MP government first raised the issue of displaced people on May 27 stating that over 6,000 were yet to be rehabilitated. "The Resettlement and Rehabilitation sub-group of the NCA held a meeting on the issue on July 12, but no senior official of the MP government participated. They also boycotted a meeting of the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir Regulation Committee on July 18."

On not attending the meeting, Baghel said the MP officials were forced to shun the NCA meeting "because they (Gujarat government and the Centre) are not taking us seriously".