Political slugfest erupts between Congress and BJP over Par Tapi Narmada River-Link project

Indian Express

4 hours ago

The controversy over the Par Tapi Narmada River-Link project has resurfaced in South Gujarat's tribal-dominated districts even as a fresh political tussle has broken out between the BJP and the Congress. Meanwhile, the Par Tapi Narmada Link Project Hatao Sangharsh Samithi has decided to hold a public rally and meeting in Valsad on August 14, with similar meetings to follow in Tapi and Dangs districts.
On Sunday, Gujarat BJP president and Union Minister CR Paatil while participating in a public event in Navsari had clarified that the project has been shelved for now.
Replying to a question regarding the project status, Paatil said, 'The Par Tapi Narmada River-Link project has been postponed'. Targeting the Opposition, the Union minister said: 'The Congress leaders had no other issues, so they took up this (project) and misguided innocent tribal people. I wanted to assure the tribal communities that the government will never carry out any project which is against them… it is the instruction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.'
Recently, the project was also discussed in the Parliament during which it was claimed that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the project has been completed.
Replying to a question, related to the project, in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Chaudhary informed that the Central Government has formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the Inter-Linking of Rivers (ILR) programme to facilitate the transfer of water from surplus to deficit basins and regions.
The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) will be responsible for implementing the ILR projects under the NPP framework.
A total of 30 ILR projects have been identified, encompassing two major components: the Himalayan Component with 14 link projects and the Peninsular Component with 16 link projects, said the minister. As of July 2025, the Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) have been completed for all 30 projects, Feasibility Reports (FRs) for 26 projects, and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 11 projects.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first interlinking initiative, under the NPP, to have entered the implementation stage. For other link projects, under the NPP, considerations such as budgetary provisions, fund allocations, and expenditure will be taken up once these projects advance to the implementation phase, said sources.
Earlier on July 29, Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, Dr Tushar Chaudhary, had written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and asked to clarify the project status. In the letter, Dr Chaudhary mentioned that 'in 2022, there was a widespread protest among the tribals in Valsad, Tapi and Dangs districts in South Gujarat over the project, following which, the state government had assured the tribals that the Central government project will not take place, as the state government's consent is necessary, and they won't give consent'.
'The tribals of South Gujarat are tense, and as the Chief Minister, you have to offer a clarification,' stated the letter.
Meanwhile, CR Paatil during the Sunday's function also slammed Congress leader Dr Tushar Chaudhary over the letter.
'Dr Chaudhary has previously held the post of the MoS in the Central government… he should know that no such DPR was presented in the Parliament,' said Paatil.
Replying to Paatil, the Congress MLA of Vansda in Navsari district, Anant Patel, in a video on social media, said, 'If you (BJP and Paatil) want to regain the trust of the tribal community, 'you' give it in writing that the project has been cancelled and will not take place.'
Meanwhile, Valsad BJP MP Dhaval Patel during a press conference on Sunday said, 'The Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project will not take place in South Gujarat. I am assuring you as a son of a tribal. The Congress leaders are unnecessarily misguiding the innocent tribals.'
Sharing the details about the August 14 meeting, MLA Anant Patel told the Indian Express, 'A large number of tribals from different districts and talukas will gather at Dharampur town in Valsad on August 14 to protest against the project'. He added, 'This event will be non-political. We will address the tribals in the town during a rally and hand a memorandum to the Mamlatdar.'
He further added, 'We are also going to carry out similar public meetings and rallies in Tapi and Dangs districts in the coming days to make the tribals aware about the project.'
Patel said, 'If Union Minister Paatil claims that the project won't take place, then he should release a white paper on this issue in the Parliament.'
The project was envisioned under the 1980 National Perspective Plan under the former Union Ministry of Irrigation and the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The project proposes to transfer river water from the surplus regions of the Western Ghats to the deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch. It proposes to link three rivers — Par, originating from Nashik in Maharashtra and flowing through Valsad, Tapi from Saputara that flows through Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat, and Narmada originating in Madhya Pradesh and flowing through Maharashtra and Bharuch and Narmada districts in Gujarat.
The link mainly includes the construction of seven dams (Jheri, Mohankavchali, Paikhed, Chasmandva, Chikkar, Dabdar and Kelwan), three diversion weirs (Paikhed, Chasmandva, and Chikkar dams), two tunnels (5.0 kilometers and 0.5 kilometers length), the 395-kilometre long canal (205 kilometre in Par-Tapi portion including the length of feeder canals and 190 km in Tapi-Narmada portion), and six powerhouses.
Of these, the Jheri dam falls in Nashik, while the remaining dams are in Valsad and Dang districts of South Gujarat.