The long wait for Narmada water has got longer for thousands of villages in Gujarat with the construction of branch and sub-branch canals delayed by a year or longer and distribution system not yet in place.

Except for Kutch, the Narmada dam’s height is irrelevant now for other parts of the state as despite the water level at Sardar Sarovar dam being at 92 metres — the maximum height required to fulfil Gujarat’s needs — only a trickle is being released into the Narmada main canal because there is no distribution network where the water is required.

And the canals are not going to be ready any time soon because work has just begun on a few or tenders have only recently been invited for others.

But in the face of all the delay, the deadlines set by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) reflect little urgency: “Work to begin in 2006-07 or tenders to be invited in 2007-08 or work to be completed in 2009-10.”

SSNNL data show:

• Of the four major branches of the Narmada main canal, the most important one, the 104-km Saurashtra branch canal, is complete only for 70 km.

• Of the 360-km Kutch branch canal, work is in progress in 76-km length while work will be taken up on 284 km in a phased manner later and will be completed only in 2008-09.

• The only work done on the 118-km Vallabhipur sub-branch is the earthwork.

• Merely 74 km of 124-km Dhrangadhra sub-branch is complete till now.

... contd.