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Narmada ( नर्मदा) River
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Introduction
The Narmada ( नर्मदा) River is the only river in India that flows in a rift valley and
flows in central India between North India and South
India. Narmada river rising in Madhya Pradesh state that runs from east to west
along with the Tapti River and the Mahi River. Narmada flows
over a length of 1,312 km (815.2 mi) before draining through the Gulf of Cambey (Khambat) into
the Arabian Sea, 30 km (18.6 mi) west of Bharuch city of Gujarat. The Narmada River has a huge water resources
potential for agriculture and economy of the region. More than 90% of
water flow occurs during the monsoon months of June to September.
The Narmada river is considered extremely holy by the Hindus
गंगे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति |
नर्मदे सिन्धुकाबेरि जलेऽस्मिऩ सन्निधिं कुरु ||
The most sacred rivers of
India are Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Sarswati, Narmada, Sindhu and
Kaveri, a dip in any of these rivers washes ones sins away..
The dams on Narmada river benefits the four Indian states Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan that include provision
for drinking water, power generation and irrigation facilities. |
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Source of Narmada River
The source of the Narmada is a small tank
called Narmada Kund located on the Amarkantak hill, in the Anuppur District of eastern Madhya
Pradesh. From the Amarkantak hill range the river descends at the Kapildhara falls over a cliff and meanders in the
hills flowing through the rocks and islands up to the ruined palace of Ramnagar.
Amarkantak is 71 Kms. from Anupppur, an important railway junction of the South Eastern Central Railway. Amarkantak is at a distance of 320 Kms. from Jabalpur and 265 Kms. from Rewa by road and around 100 Kms. from
Shahdol. The nearest railway station from Amarkantak is Pendra, which is 65
Kms. from Amarkantak. Pendra is in Bilaspur of Chhatisgarh |
Amarkantak Shiva temple |
Narmada River in plains
The river rises on the summit of Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state .It traverses the first 320 kilometres
course around the Mandla Hills, which form the head of the Satpura Range; then moves towards Jabalpur passing through the `Marble Rocks`, it enters the Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and moves westwards towards the Gulf of Cambay. It flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and finally meets the Arabian Sea in the
Bharuch District of Gujarat.
Narmada River flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh 1,077 km (669.2 miles), Maharashtra, 74 km (46.0 miles)), 35 km
(21.7 miles) border between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and 39 km (24.2 miles)
border between Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and in Gujarat 161 km (100.0 miles)). |
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Dams on Narmada River
Dams on Nrmada river map - Source: rediff.com
In 1979 as part of a development scheme to
increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity thirty large dams
was planned on river Narmada. Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is the largest multipurpose project involved in the
construction, with a proposed height of 136.5 m, In February 1999, the Supreme Court of India gave the go ahead for the dam's height to be raised to 88 metres from the initial 80.
In March 2006, despite popular protest, the Supreme Court gave clearance for the height to be increased to 121.92 m (400 ft). |
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Narmada Bachao Andolan
Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is a
peoples organisation that mobilised tribal people, adivasis, farmers,
environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam
being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat. The Andolan (campaign) includes hunger strikes and garnering support from noted
film and art personalities together with its leading spokespersons Medha Patkar and Baba Amte.
In 1985, after hearing about the Sardar Sarovar dam, Medha Patkar and her
colleagues visited the project site and noticed the project work being shelved
due to an order by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
The reasons for this was cited as "non-fulfillment of basic environmental
conditions and the lack of completion of crucial studies and plans". What she
noticed was that the people who were going to be affected were given no information, but for the offer for rehabilitation.
Medha Patkar approached the Ministry of Environment to seek clarifications. She realized, after seeking
answers from the ministry, that the project was not sanctioned at all, and
wondered as to how funds were even sanctioned by the World Bank. Patkar quit her
studies and focus entirely on the Narmada activity. Thereafter, she organized a 36-day long, solidarity march among the neighboring states of the
Narmada valley from Madhya Pradesh to the Sardar Sarovar dam site.
Medha Patkar established Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) in 1989, all other groups joined
this national coalition of environmental and human rights activists, scientists,
academics and project-affected people with a non-violent approach. Medha Patkar advised also World Bank to their propaganda. Using the right to fasting, she undertook a
22 day fast that almost took her life. In 1991, her actions led to an unprecedented independent review by the World Bank.
The Morse Commission, appointed in June 1991 at the recommendation of The World Bank
conducted its first independent review of a World Bank project. Due to the review of World Bank
the Indian Government pulling out of its loan agreement with the World Bank.
In 1994, the Bachao Andolan office was attacked reportedly by a
couple of political parties, where Patkar and other activists were physically
assaulted and verbally abused. In protest, a few NBA activists and she began
a fast and 20 days later, they were arrested and forcibly fed intravenously.Patkar led Narmada Bachao Andolan had filed a written petition with the Supreme
Court of India seeking stoppage of construction on the Sardar Sarovar dam.
The Supreme Court also deliberated on this issue further for several years but
finally upheld the Tribunal Award and allowed the construction to proceed,
subject to conditions. On the court’s verdict, Press Information Bureau (PIB) states that:
"The Narmada Bachao Andolan has rendered a yeoman`s service to the country by creating a high-level of awareness about the environmental and rehabilitation and relief aspects of Sardar Sarovar and other projects on the Narmada. But, after the court verdict it is incumbent on it to adopt a new role. Instead of `damning the dam` any longer, it could assume the role of vigilant observer to see that the resettlement work is as humane and painless as possible and that the environmental aspects are taken due care of". |
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History
The river has been mentioned by Ptolemy in the Second century AD as
Namade. There are several references of Narmada in the Ramayana, the Mahabharat and
Puranas. The Rewa Khand of Vayu Purana and the Rewa Khand of Skanda Purana are entirely devoted to the story of the birth and the
importance of the river Narmada. Legends also mention that the Narmada River is older than the river Ganga.
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Narmada in Hindu religion
The Narmada
river is one of the most sacred holy rivers of India among Ganga,
Yamuna, Godavari and Kaveri. Every Hindu belives that a dip in any of these five
rivers washes their sins, Narmada is said to be the daughter of Lord
Shiva (शिव). According to a proverb.
नर्मदकि कंकर, सोई शिवशंकर|
Narmada Ke Kanker soe shiv Sankar
It means, "Every pebble stones of Narmada gets a personified form of Shiva"
All along the course of the Narmda river, starting with its origin at Narmadakhund at Amarkantak
hill largest Shiva temples in India are located. The famous temples
of Lord Sjiva on narmada river are the Amarkantak or Teerathraj,
Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Sulpaneswar, Narmdeswar, Khumbeswar,
Hanumanteswar, Sukrewsar, Mandveswar, Dasameswar, Kubereswar,
Vaysewar, Adeteswar, Hayeswar and Chamundikund – all named after Shiva.
Other famous temples are Chausath Yogini (sixty four yoginis) temple,
Chaubis Avatar temple, Bhojpur Shiva temple and Bhrigu Rishi temple in Bharuch.
There are many fables about the origin of the Narmada. According to one of them,
once Lord Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe, meditated so hard that he
started perspiring. Shiva’s sweat accumulated in a tank and started flowing in the form of a river – the Narmada. |
Omkareshwar temple on the banks of Narmada river
dedicated to Lord Shiva (शिव) |
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Economy
The valleys of River Narmada are
very important for the economically development of the region.
There are various handicraft works and other small-scale industries along the Narmada.
The dams on Narmada river benefits include provision drinking water, power generation
and irrigation facilities. The Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT)
final order determined the utilizable quantum of Narmada waters to be 27,000,000 acre feet (3.3×1010 m3) at 75% dependability and allocated it
to the four states as
Party
States
Allocated share of water %
share of power
Madhya Pradesh 18,250,000 acre feet (22.51
km3) 57
Gujarat
9,000,000 acre feet (11 km3) 16
Maharashtra
250,000 acre feet (0.31 km3) 27
Rajasthan
500,000 acre feet (0.62 km3) Nil
Total
28,000,000 acre feet (35 km3) 100
Ecology
The lower Narmada River Valley and the surrounding uplands, covering an area of
65,598.8 sq miles consists of dry deciduous forests. The ecoregion is home to 76 species of mammals and to 276 bird species none of
which are endemic. Some of the important national parks and wild life sanctuaries in the valley are:
Kanha National Park: This park is located in the upper reaches of Narmada, about 18 km from
Mandla, This park is the home of several wild animals including the Tiger.
It is one of the best National Parks of Asia,. Satpura National
Park: This park set up in 1981, is located in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh. Its
covers an area of 524 Sq.km. Satpura National Park, being part of a unique ecosystem, is very rich in
biodiversity. The fauna comprises tiger, leopard,
sambar, chital, bhedki, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, bison (gour), wild boar, wild dog, bear, black buck, fox, porcupine, flying squirrel, mouse deer,
Indian joint squirrel etc. The flora of the national park consists of mainly
sal, teak, tendu, aonla, mahua, bel, bamboo, and a variety of grasses and medicinal plants.
Mandla Plant Fossils National Park, Dindori National fossils park Ghughuya is situated in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh.
The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve covers a wide spectrum of floral and faunal features that occupy the Satpura conservation area. It is one of the oldest forest reserves, which has an established
tradition of scientific management of forests. There are also a number of natural preserves such as the
Amarkantak, the Bagh Caves and the Bhedaghat.
Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary in Gujarat, near the Sardar Sraovar dam site, previously called the Dumkal Sloth Bear Sanctuary
covers an area of about 607 sq.km. It is the habitat of mammals and a variety of birds, including eagles and hawks.
The anthropological sites along River Narmada not only serve for the historians interest but also the tourists. The extensive caves of Bhimbhetka are located in a dyke structure of the Narmada valley at about 45 km northeast of Bhopal.
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Narmada river development
The Narmada river development or NRD are the policies and
rules to keep the banks of the river clean and developed. The Narmada River features huge resources and potential for the development of the region. The Narmada river development was designed to keep the banks and water of the river clean and usable for resource needs.
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Tributaries of River Narmada
The tributaries of River Narmada
are Hallon, Banjar, Barna and Tawa are the main source of water, irrigation and other resource based activities in the central India.
Environment Protection
According to the NBA, the Maheshwar Dam project was privatised in 1992 and handed over to the S. Kumars groupwill submerge the lands and homes of 50,000 to 70,000 peasants, fishermen and landless workers in 61 villages.
The Environment Ministry has issued a show cause notice on February 18, 2010 to the company building the
Maheshwar Dam in the Narmada Valley after hundreds of affected people marched to the Ministry
demanding rehabilitation.
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The Narmada ( नर्मदा) River