In a illegitimate reversal of the decision dated 6th May 2011 of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), prohibiting any closure of the gates of the Maheshwar dam or submergence until completion of rehabilitation and resettlement, on 1st of May 2012, the MOEF has issued permission for the closure of the gates of the Maheshwar dam and for partial filling of the reservoir up to 154 meters.

Actual irrigation has been done in 87,000 hectare area from Narmada Valley projects till December 2011 during the current fiscal. During the period, 601.59 crore units of power have also been generated by Narmada Valley hydel power plants. This information was given at a meeting of departmental advisory committee chaired by Minister of State for Narmada Valley Development, Kanhaiyalal Agrawal. Member MLA Balkrishna Patidar, special invitee Kamal Patel, vice-chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority OP Rawat and other officers were present at the meeting.

Madhya Pradesh Government on Wednesday extended the tenure of the Union Carbide Toxic Gas Leak Probe Commission by an year, sources said.
The term of the committee, headed by Justice SL Kocchar, was to get over on February 25, they said. The decision in this regard was taken by the state Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

A first of its kind scientific initiative in the country is going to be made in Madhya Pradesh for ensuring health security of Narmada River. Under the initiative, bioanalysis of Narmada water will be made besides conducting a study of the standard physical and chemical reactions, which are necessary to keep the river water free of pollution.

Bhopal : Demonstrations of various crops will be organised by the State Government by identifying fields of farmers with a view to promoting organic farming. Farmers of nearby villages will be encouraged to adopt organic farming by taking them round these demonstrative fields. Priority will be given to demonstration of paddy crops, spices and aromatic and medicinal plants as well as fruit-bearing trees, which are grown with minimum chemical inputs under organic farming.

New Delhi: ‘Dil hai Hindustani’ is a phrase that best sums up Association for India’s Development’s vast network of workers and volunteers for whom all roads lead to India. The much-needed funds are raised abroad but channeled to a staggering sweep of projects within the country. From helping organic farmers in the Sunderbans, to teaching underprivileged kids in Tamil Nadu, from encouraging citizens to file RTIs to funding NGOs that fight corruption, from waste management in Bangalore to offering flood relief in Murshidabad, it is involved in diverse activities.

BHILALA TRIBALS often assemble next to what used to be their village, Atursumba of Khargaon district in southeast Madhya Pradesh. Dwarfing them is a 100-feet-wide canal laid high above the ground. Water has seeped from the earthen embankments and submerged the village. “Now, we don’t sing harvest songs; the fun is missing from marriage parties. We are overwhelmed by the destruction of our fertile land,” rues Kailash Pawar, 40, of the tribal village.

The book gives a comprehensive account of the pre and post independence activities regarding the Narmada Valley development till 2011
Narmada Valley development has been an issue of debate, nation wide. This got momentum when first Prime Minister of the country Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru put forth his model of development through building large dams to create irrigation potential for increasing agriculture production.

Inspired by the success of Maan and Jobat irrigation projects, Narmada Valley Development Authority is focusing to increase farmers association in other irrigation projects of the valley.

NVDA chairman KL Agrawal on Wednesday said that there is need to mobilise farmers of the valley to own the projects to which they are going to be benefited.

The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has called for declaring the 12th Five Years Plan as Water Plan. It is inevitable to draw up a comprehensive plan for efficient water utilization to increase agricultural area, he added.

The Chief Minister was addressing a conference organized by the Planning Commission of India to discussion the vision of the 12th Five Years Plan here today.