Four states agree to resolve pending Narmada Project issues

• Four states bordering the Narmada river — Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra — reached an agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the settlement of pending payment issues of Narmada Project. 

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav signed the agreement in New Delhi on July 7.

• This agreement marks a milestone in resolving the long-standing disputes among the states relating to the cost-sharing arrangements for the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project. 

• Under the agreement, the payments to be made towards the final settlement of pending dues have been resolved through a one-time settlement.

• This agreement will further enhance mutual trust between the states, and cooperation on water projects.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the completed Sardar Sarovar Dam to the nation on September 17, 2017.

• The Sardar Sarovar Dam is located in Gujarat’s Narmada district, near Kevadia village, right on the border between Gujarat and Maharashtra. To its west lies the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh.

• Recently, significant progress has also been made in resolving long-standing water-sharing issues between states, such as those concerning the Kishau Dam project in Himachal Pradesh and the water dispute between Rajasthan and Haryana.

• On June 29, Rajasthan and Haryana signed an agreement for the construction and implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, resolving a nearly three-decade-old issue.

• On June 16, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the Kishau Multipurpose Project to rejuvenate the Yamuna river.