NO RECORD: There is no clarity on 1.55 to 4.62 MAF of water that went ‘missing’ from 2014 to 2018
A farmers' organisation has questioned the difference in the water allotted to Gujarat by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) as well the water given out by the government for agriculture, industrial and residential use in the state.
Sagar Rabari of Khedut Ekta Manch said that there is no accounting for water ranging from 1.55 Million Acre Feet (MAF) to 4.62 MAF during the year 2014 to 2018.
"If one were to compare the water allotted to Gujarat by the NCA and the figures released by the state government about water allocated to agriculture, residential and industrial use during the said period we will find that there is no accounting for a substantial MAF of water," said Rabari. He also said that the water allotted to Gujarat by the NCA is the one that is over and above the storage.
He said against 6.9 MAF of water allocated to Gujarat in the year 2014-15, there is no accounting for 4.62 MAF.
"The missing water was arrived at after subtracting the water allotted for various uses (agriculture, industrial and residential) from the overall water allotted to the state for the year," said Rabari.
He said for the year 2017-18, 1.55 MAF of water is unaccounted for. "The government should come clean on what happened to the missing water? We suspect that the water is being illegally supplied to GIDC and other industrial units," said Rabari.
He said earlier when the state had stopped releasing Narmada water into the canal citing shortage they had asked them for data of the water being supplied, but the state had refused.
"It is often said that farmers are illegally using water pumps to withdraw water from canals, but these water pumps don't belong to farmers alone a lot of it belongs to industries too and officials are hand-in-glove with them," said Rabari. He also dismissed the fact that evaporation could have played a role. "On an average the evaporation rate is 8 per cent to 10 per cent and that won't account for the missing water," said Rabari.
He also questioned the government's delay in building the canal network in the state which has robbed the farmers of the opportunity to use Narmada water.
"Even when the Narmada dispute was going on no one including the Supreme Court had ever raised an objection on building canals. The question was always about water being filled at par with rehabilitation of the project affected. Had we bothered to make the network, we would have been able to use the Narmada water in a much better way instead of letting it go waste into the sea," said Rabari.
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He said against 6.9 MAF of water allocated to Gujarat in the year 2014-15, there is no accounting for 4.62 MAF.
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