Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project & why are tribals in Gujarat protesting against it

The tribals in Gujarat will recently hold a public meeting in Kaprada in Valsad district to protest against the Centre’s Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project. 

About the Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project:

• The Par Tapi Narmada link 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),
• six powerhouses
• Of these, the Jheri dam falls in Nashik, while the remaining dams are in Valsad and Dang districts of South Gujarat.

How will the project affect villages?

• According to a report by the NWDA, about 6065 ha of land area will be submerged due to the proposed reservoirs.
• A total of 61 villages will be affected, of which one will be fully submerged and the remaining 60 partly.
• The total number of affected families would be 2,509 of which 98 families would be affected due to the creation of the Jheri reservoir, the only one in Maharashtra, spread over six villages.
• In Gujarat, 17 villages will be affected by the Kelwan reservoir
• 11 villages by the Dabdar reservoir
• 7 villages by Chasmandva reservoir
• 9 villages by Chikkar reservoir
• 11 villages by Paikhed reservoir
• The affected villages are located in Surgana and Peint talukas in Nashik and Dharampur taluka of Valsad, Vansda taluka of Navsari and Ahwa taluka of Dang districts in Gujarat.