Madhya Pradesh holds 87% of the reservoir area of the Narmada river, which flows through its valley. Narmada provides one of the integral resources humankind has, water. The government of Madhya Pradesh founded this development authority on August 9th, 1985. The Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDAMP) oversees all major development projects and ensures the impact on the environment is positive by taking suitable measures, including the displacement of the masses.
In this article, we will walk you through the objectives, approved plans, and vision of the Narmada Valley Development Authority, Bhopal.
Table of contents
Narmada Valley Development Authority : Overview
The Narmada Valley Development Authority is a government agency that was formed to develop water resources in the Narmada basin and expedite project implementation. NVDAMP is a multidisciplinary organisation of the State Government and the head office, which is situated in the state’s capital. Currently, Shri Iqbal Singh Bains is the chairman of the Narmada Valley Development Authority.
Narmada Valley Development Authority : Objectives
NVDA has various objectives and carries out several functions, which are as follows:-
- Prepare for the exploration of the water resources of the Narmada river.
- All crucial engineering work in order to harness the river and tributaries to serve the purposes of irrigation, navigation, power, and other development activities.
- Undertake the generation, and sale of power in bulk to MPEB and all salient engineering works ancillary thereto.
- Engineering activities to meet the need for irrigation, navigation, flood control, and also to provide human resettlements.
- NVDA shoulders the responsibility of human rehabilitation and resettlement in respect of projects in the Narmada Valley, to establish villages and towns.
- Proper development and conservation of forests, wildlife, and fisheries in the Narmada valley.
- NVDA is designed to be responsible for the organisation of the project encumbering it.
Vision of Narmada Valley Development Authority
The vision of NVDA is to facilitate the mass with water resources, as the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh has a stupendous capacity. Water can be used in various ways, such as energy generation, irrigation, and so on. Besides Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are also beneficiary states.
The Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal, vide its award of December 1979, has a fixed water share. The fixed share of water for all states is as follows:-
| State | Share Amount |
| Madhya Pradesh | 18.25 MAF |
| Gujarat | 9.00 MAF |
| Rajasthan | 0.50 MAF |
| Maharashtra | 0.25 MAF |
The current share of water is mentioned in the table above. However, in 2025, the allocation is proposed to be reviewed, in case the designated states fail to operate the water efficiently.
The Madhya Pradesh government is set to develop the use of 18.25 MAF of water by the end of 2025. For proper utilisation of the allocated water, the government has planned the construction of 29 major, 135 medium, and around 3000 minor irrigation projects.
The development phase of the major projects may take up to 10 to 12 years. It was planned to complete 29 major projects by the end of 2012, and these projects would provide 12 lakh hectares of 11.36 MAF irrigation water. Furthermore, data shows that it is also possible to generate 3291 MW of power using this resource.
NVDAMP Plan Approval
There are several approved plans for the Narmada Valley Development Project. Both new and existing approvals are mentioned below:-
New Administrative Approvals of Narmada Valley Development Project
- ISP Main Canal to Omkareshawar Left Canal Link
- ISP Kali Sindh Link Project (First Phase)
- ISP Kali Sindh Link Project (Third Phase)
- Pipari Micro Irrigation Project
- Nagalwadi Lift Micro Irrigation Project
- Pati Lift Micro Irrigation Project
- Morand Ganjal Joint Irrigation Project
- Narmada Kshipra Link Multipurpose Project
- Nilkund Ghat Village Sokalpur Dist. Narsinhpur
Old Administrative Approvals Narmada Valley Development Project
| SSP Oustee (Land Acquisition; Rehabilitation) | Nilkanth Tehsil Nasrullaganj Dist. Sehore |
| Chhipaner Tehsil Nasrullaganj Dist. Sehore | AAwali Tehsil Rehati Dist. Sehore |
| Punasa Ext. Lift Irrigation Scheme | Jawar Lift Micro Irrigation Scheme |
| Chondi-Jamaniya Lift Micro Irrigation Project | Balakwada Lift Micro Irrigation Project |
| Bhikangaon-Binjalwada Lift Micro Irrigation Project | Ujjaini-Dewas-Ujjain Pipe Line Scheme |
| Simlor-Ambachandan Micro Irrigation Project | Amba-Rodiya Lift Irrigation Scheme |
| Chhipaner Lift Micro Irrigation Project | Harsud Lift Irrigation Scheme |
| Indira Sagar Project – Main Canal | Upper Beda Right Bank Canal |
| Balwada Micro Irrigation Project | Chinki Micro Irrigation Project |
| Revidsed Administrative Approval – Sahid Bhima Nayak Sagar (Lower Goi) | Omkareshawar Project |
| Omkareshawar Project – Corrected copy | Bargi Diversion Project |
| For construction work of Small Bridges & Culverts of Narmada Kshipra Simhasth Link Project | For construction work of 4 Pier on the Left; Right banks of the Narmada river in Omkareshwar |
| Narmada-Kaveri Link Channel | Upper Beda Project – Revised Admin. Approval |
| Alirajpur Lift Irrigation Project | Jobat (Micro Irrigation) Project |
| Narmada Malwa Gambhir Link Project | Dabari Lift Irrigation Scheme |
| Sihada Lift Irrigation Scheme | Administrative Approval of Narmada Kshipra Simhasth Link Project |
| Upper Beda Project | Barbati Link Irrigation Scheme |
NVDA Office Address and Contact Details
| Address | Email Address | Official Website | Fax No | Phone No. |
| 59, Arera Hills, Narmada Bhawan, Bhopal-462011 | nvdabpl@mp.nic.in | http://www(dot)mpsdc(dot) gov(dot)in/nvda | 0755-2677535, 2677598 | 0755-2526200, 2526300 |
FAQ’s on Narmada Valley Development Authority:-
Why was the Narmada Valley Authority formed?
The Narmada Valley Development Authority was established in 1985 by the Madhya Pradesh government to oversee the progress of the projects being planned in the Narmada Basin.
What is the Narmada Valley development project?
Narmada Valley development project is known to be the single largest river development scheme in India. This project is also one of the world’s largest hydroelectric projects that resulted in the displacement of around 1.5 million people from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
Who started the Narmada Valley?
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation in 1961 for a 49.8-meter high dam. However, the plans for damming the Gora river in Gujarat surfaced in 1946.
What is the Narmada valley famous for?
The Narmada Valley is famous for being the third-longest river that flows entirely within India, after the Krishna and the Godavari.
Which project is built on the Narmada River?
The Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) is a project. It is built on the Narmada River. It is located in Gujarat and is one of the largest multipurpose river valley infrastructural development projects in India.
Narmada Valley is located in which state?
The Narmada is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, and it is situated in Madhya Pradesh.
