9.15 Inter-State River Water
Disputes
Inter-state water disputes are also one of the
major issues with the management of water
resources of the state. Major rivers of the state
are shared by two or more states. Madhya Pradesh is located in the center of the country and
rivers flow almost in all directions and drain huge
water from the state. As soon as they cross the
boundary of Madhya Pradesh, they are dammed
in such a manner that the submerged area confines in this state but water goes to the states of
lower reaches. The Rihand, Betwa, Ken, Chambal, Narmada, Wainganga are some of the rivers
to be mentioned. Sometimes even dams are
located within the state and water is passed to
other states. Bansagar located on the Sone in
Shahdol district and Gangau Dam in Chhatarpur
district are glaring examples. Such a situation has
created water conflicts between Madhya Pradesh
and the bordering states. With the increasing
demand for water which largely falls under the
authority of the states, and with the states
increasingly asserting their legal and political
power, inter-state water disputes are in the rise
and are getting more complex and contentious.
At present, this state has water disputes with
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Karnataka for water of Wainganga and its tributaries;
with Rajasthan for Chambal water, with Gujarat,
Maharashtra and Rajasthan for Narmada water;
with Gujarat and Rajasthan for Mahi water; with
Maharashtra for Tapti water; and with Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar for Son and Rihand water. On
the behest of the central government agreements
for the sharing of river waters have been reached
several times between Madhya Pradesh and
concerned states. In spite of this, dispute triggers
almost every year particularly in lean years or
lean season.
Under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act,
1956, the Central Government constituted Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) on 6th
October 1969 to adjudicate upon the sharing
of Narmada waters
and
for the
Narmada River Valley Development. The Tribunal
gave its Award on 7th December 1979. The
Award specified a quantum of utilizable waters at
75% dependability to be shared by the four States
of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Rajasthan. The Narmada Control Authority is an
interstate high level administrative authority, set
up by the Government of India, in 1980 for the
purpose of securing compliance with the implementation of the decisions of the Narmada Water
Disputes Tribunal by the basin States. Agreements between riparian states of Narmada were
made in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1978 besides
Tribunal awards and judgments of Supreme
Court of India. Similar agreements were made
with Uttar Pradesh regarding Matatila dam,
Rangawn dam, Jamni dam Bhander canal complex in 1965; regarding projects of Bundelkhand
in 1972, Rajghat project in 1973; and regarding
Rajghat, Paisuni, Ken Canal, Kanhar, Urmil,
Bansagar, and (vii) Bhander Canal in 1977.
Similar agreements were made between Madhya
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regarding
Bansagar in 1973 and regarding Kanhar waters in
1982. Disputes of the Tapti basin and Godavari
basin were discussed and agreed upon several
times between concerned states. These agreements are most often violated particularly in lean
seasons and dry years.
9.16 Issue of Drinking Water
Facility
The use of water for drinking and domestic
purposes is practiced since time immemorial. But
even today it is not easy to get sufficient drinking
water from improved sources in this state.
The NSSO Survey conducted during 2012
(2013) shows that while in rural 83.2% of
households got drinking water from ‘improved
sources’, the proportion was 97.1% in the urban
areas of Madhya Pradesh. The averages for the
country are 88.5% and 93.5% respectively. It
means the rural households of the state are far
behind the country average to get water from
improved sources. In this survey, it has been
ascertained that in the state 76.2% of rural and
9 Water Resources of Madhya Pradesh: Contemporary …
121
Disputes
Inter-state water disputes are also one of the
major issues with the management of water
resources of the state. Major rivers of the state
are shared by two or more states. Madhya Pradesh is located in the center of the country and
rivers flow almost in all directions and drain huge
water from the state. As soon as they cross the
boundary of Madhya Pradesh, they are dammed
in such a manner that the submerged area confines in this state but water goes to the states of
lower reaches. The Rihand, Betwa, Ken, Chambal, Narmada, Wainganga are some of the rivers
to be mentioned. Sometimes even dams are
located within the state and water is passed to
other states. Bansagar located on the Sone in
Shahdol district and Gangau Dam in Chhatarpur
district are glaring examples. Such a situation has
created water conflicts between Madhya Pradesh
and the bordering states. With the increasing
demand for water which largely falls under the
authority of the states, and with the states
increasingly asserting their legal and political
power, inter-state water disputes are in the rise
and are getting more complex and contentious.
At present, this state has water disputes with
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Karnataka for water of Wainganga and its tributaries;
with Rajasthan for Chambal water, with Gujarat,
Maharashtra and Rajasthan for Narmada water;
with Gujarat and Rajasthan for Mahi water; with
Maharashtra for Tapti water; and with Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar for Son and Rihand water. On
the behest of the central government agreements
for the sharing of river waters have been reached
several times between Madhya Pradesh and
concerned states. In spite of this, dispute triggers
almost every year particularly in lean years or
lean season.
Under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act,
1956, the Central Government constituted Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) on 6th
October 1969 to adjudicate upon the sharing
of Narmada waters
and
for the
Narmada River Valley Development. The Tribunal
gave its Award on 7th December 1979. The
Award specified a quantum of utilizable waters at
75% dependability to be shared by the four States
of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Rajasthan. The Narmada Control Authority is an
interstate high level administrative authority, set
up by the Government of India, in 1980 for the
purpose of securing compliance with the implementation of the decisions of the Narmada Water
Disputes Tribunal by the basin States. Agreements between riparian states of Narmada were
made in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1978 besides
Tribunal awards and judgments of Supreme
Court of India. Similar agreements were made
with Uttar Pradesh regarding Matatila dam,
Rangawn dam, Jamni dam Bhander canal complex in 1965; regarding projects of Bundelkhand
in 1972, Rajghat project in 1973; and regarding
Rajghat, Paisuni, Ken Canal, Kanhar, Urmil,
Bansagar, and (vii) Bhander Canal in 1977.
Similar agreements were made between Madhya
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regarding
Bansagar in 1973 and regarding Kanhar waters in
1982. Disputes of the Tapti basin and Godavari
basin were discussed and agreed upon several
times between concerned states. These agreements are most often violated particularly in lean
seasons and dry years.
9.16 Issue of Drinking Water
Facility
The use of water for drinking and domestic
purposes is practiced since time immemorial. But
even today it is not easy to get sufficient drinking
water from improved sources in this state.
The NSSO Survey conducted during 2012
(2013) shows that while in rural 83.2% of
households got drinking water from ‘improved
sources’, the proportion was 97.1% in the urban
areas of Madhya Pradesh. The averages for the
country are 88.5% and 93.5% respectively. It
means the rural households of the state are far
behind the country average to get water from
improved sources. In this survey, it has been
ascertained that in the state 76.2% of rural and
9 Water Resources of Madhya Pradesh: Contemporary …
121