Dodgy arithmetic over Narmada waters
On March 6, 2007, Union minister of state for water resources Jai Prakash Yadav told the Rajya Sabha that in case Madhya Pradesh was not able to utilise its share of the Narmada waters, the surplus would go to the Sardar Sarovar River Bed Powerhouse in Gujarat. This was as per the Narmada Water Tribunal's verdict, the minister claimed. The tribunal had, in 1979, stipulated water allocations from the Sardar Sarovar Project for Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. It had assessed, with 75 per cent certainty, that 34,537.44 million cubic metres (mcm) would be available from the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Of this, it allocated 22,511.01 mcm to Madhya Pradesh.
But Madhya Pradesh, if the union minister is to be believed, has not utilised this share. So, he advocates diverting water to Gujarat for power generation and other purposes.Other purposes? Let me quote what the minister told the Rajya Sabha: "Surplus water may