Accounting System for Utilizable Flow and Water Use for Narmada River Basin in India

Abstract

Accounting for the distribution and use of water from the Narmada River is required by law. Narmada water has been apportioned among four States in accordance with the stipulations of “Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award”, which was constituted in 1969 to adjudicate upon the water dispute regarding the accounting and sharing of waters of the inter-State River Narmada. The NWDT Award came in force in 1979 is specific about the computation of utilizable flow and its sharing among Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan even in case of surplus and distress years. The procedure adopted for accounting of annual utilizable flow and computation of water use by the party States has been discussed in this paper. A new methodology in accordance with the NWDT Award was developed in the year 2007 by the Narmada Control Authority and Annual Water Account for the water year 2006-07 onwards has been prepared as per the new method. All the components specified, in the NWDT Award have been incorporated in computation of utilizable flow for any period using the observed flow, reservoir levels and actual utilizations. The computation of utilizable flow for the water year 2008-09 and the monsoon period 2009-10 have been discussed in details. The method is been accepted by Authority and the party States in the year 2012. The knowledge of utilizable flow at the end of monsoon period provides major input for planning of allocations of Narmada water for different uses during the remaining months of the water year by the sharing States.