Guj does not need NCA permission to fill up Narmada Dam: CM

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Saturday that his government does not need a permission from the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to raise the water level in the Narmada Dam to 138 metres.

However, precautionary measures will be taken and technical opinion will be sought before filling up the dam to 138 metres, while at present the water level stands at 132 metres, he was quoted as saying in an official release.

Earlier this month, 26 out of 30 gates of Narmada Dam were opened after the water level rose to 131.5 metres following heavy rains.

It happened for the first time since the gates were constructed to increase the height of the dam to 138.72 metres from 121.92 metres following the NCA's permission.

Rupani's statement came amid a dispute between the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh and the BJP government in Gujarat over rehabilitation of the dam-affected people.

Filling up Sardar Sarovar Reservoir (also called Narmada Dam) by closing the gates will affect around 6,000 families across 76 villages in the catchment area in Madhya Pradesh due to rise in the water level, the neighbouring state said last month.

The MP government requested Gujarat to revisit its decision to fill the dam to the full reservoir level (FRL) on humanitarian grounds.

The NCA, which implements the decisions of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal, in June permitted the Gujarat government to close the gates, which increased the storage capacity of the reservoir to 4.75 million acre feet (MAF).

The NCA had, however, said that rehabilitation and resettlement of project-affected families from three beneficiary states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat should be completed before July 31.