Eco-destruction? Narmada's natural flow down to what it was 10 years go, farm lands go saline, fish catch down

Aliyabet

By A Representative
The Gujarat government closing down all the 30 gates on the the Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam in June this year may have "helped" raise the water level to the full reservoir level, 138.68 metres, swelling the dam’s live storage from 1.27 million acre feet (MAF) to 4.73 MAF. However, this has allegedly led to a major ecological destruction downstream of the river, 150 km away, on the river mouth, on the Gulf of Khambhat.
Says South Gujarat's well-known environmentalist MSH Sheikh, who heads the Brackish Water Research Centre, Surat, the flow in the river, despite increase in the dam's capacity, has actually gone down to what it was 10 years ago. He has told Counterview, "It was decided to release 600 cusecs (cubic feet per seconds) of environmental flow by dam authorities without considering the effects on downstream at the time of planning the dam."
Pointing out that even this 600 cusecs of water is only being released "on paper", Sheikh says, "A recent National Green Tribunal (NGT) order said that 25% of river flow should be considered as ecological flow for downstream area", adding, the main reason behind this is the dam authorities' belief that "the release in the downstream is wastage of the fresh water; they have no value for the 150 km of Narmada river downstream from the dam."
He notes, "Narmada is the biggest west flowing river which had the continuous freshwater flow necessary for fish breeding throughout the year. The flow has come down drastically. The fresh water flow is confined to merely 20 meters of the riverbed at Chandod in the downstream of the dam, though the width used to be 250-300 metres before the dam was constructed."
Another major ecological consequence of the "non-release of the fresh water", says Sheikh, has been "tidal water intrusion much deeper than before", insisting, "The salt water is affecting farmers. Farmers on the river bank cannot take the river water for agriculture as it has no dilution of freshwater. Tidal effects are depositing silt in the mouth of the river from Bharuch to Dahej, creating the various mud islands."
Pointing out that "the morphology of the river and riverbed is totally changed due to the decrease of river flow", Sheikh says, "There was a delta of river Narmada when the Sardar Sarovar dam was not constructed, which was called Aliyabet, having lush green 'aal' grass. The villagers of the northern and southern portion of the river were grazing animals on it. After the construction of dam and non-release of adequate water, the delta has disappeared."
"The southern portion of the delta has merged with the land and created a desert", Sheikh says, adding, "Decrease in the river water level has made the entire estuary very shallow. The fishermen are not having adequate depth in the estuarine mouth. Uneven topography has permanently changed the river estuary and delta."
According to Sheikh, "The fishermen who were fishing before the dam was constructed from Hansot to Kantiyajal in 20 km stretch in southern portion of the delta do not have the river any more, as it has merged in land and become desert. The Pagadiya fishermen have to go tens of km away from their native village for fishing."
Meanwhile, in order to come to grips with the ecological destruction because of the reduced release of water from the dam, the state government has proposed Bhadbhut barrage on the mouth of the river. Sheikh says, "Fishermen are opposing the barrage as they are now fishing in the flowing river during the tidal water in the river and the estuary."
He adds, "The closer of the estuary at Bhadbhut will shorten their fishing ground and breeding ground of Hilsa fish, which is one of the major fish species in Narmada river and estuary. All movement of the water flow will stop, which will result in stopping of breeding of the species, which requires brackish water area where the salinity varies."

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Search This Blog