The availability of water in Narmada river has been assessed in the most sophisticated and systematic manner in consultation with the Central Water Commission (CWC), the highest expert technical body of the nation by utilizing rainfall series from 1891 to 1992 and actual river flow series from 1948 to 1992. The actual river flow series for 45 years is not adequate for planning mega-project with a life of more than 100 years and a large catchments with co-efficient of annual flow variations of 0.35 which may need minimum 130 years data of both rainfall and river flows. Therefore combined actual and hind cast available data of about 100 years is used as per international standard practice. Based on this method, 75% dependable availability is 27.22 MAF and not 22.69 MAF estimated by the critics. Even the World Bank in its detailed scrutiny while extending financial assistance had accepted and endorsed these calculations.

From technical considerations like dependability, carry over storage, flood control, power generation, submergence, evaporation, life span (serviceability) and social considerations like equity in distribution, Sardar Sarovar Project has practically no alternative. According to a World Bank report on Sardar Sarovar Project, even if it were technically possible (which it is not), to find enough small tank sites, to hold the same amount of water, the land lost due to inundation, could well be over 1.0 M ha. against 37,000 ha. for Sardar Sarovar Project. The area where Narmada canal waters are going is one of the least rains receiving areas. Secondly, even if we construct such small tanks/dams, how will they be filled in the absence of regular, adequate and dependable rainfall which is an exception than a rule in most of the western India?

Water logging due to excessive ground water accumulation can be a side effect of canal irrigation over a long period. It can be prevented by appropriate water management practices. In the SSP, following specific measures have been built in 
the system, and would ensure that there would not be any problem of water logging or salinity surfacing :-

• Lining main canal, branches and entire canal net work upto 8 ha. block to minimize seepage.

• Limited water delta of 53 cm (21’’) against normal 75 cm in existing projects.

• Simultaneous command area development.

• Conjunctive use of surface and ground water.

• Remote Controlled Automatic Canal Operation.

• Volumetric and rotational water supply by Wara bandhi.

• Water application allowance based on agro-climatic zoning.

• Better water management practices and active participation of farmers.

This apprehension is unfounded. Water management aspects mentioned earlier, and particularly computerized automatic control and volumetric distribution of water, supply of water to groups of farmers and not individual, would help attain better efficiency. Gujarat has proved efficiency in water management under conventional system also, by capturing national productivity award for five consecutive years. 

The Project will provide irrigation to 0.543 million hectares of land in Saurashtra and 0.113 million hectares in Kutch district. Besides this, the drinking water supply would be made to most of the water scarce regions of Kutch and Saurashtra. A special outlay of US $ 500 millions has been made in the 9th Five Year Plan for the implementation of water supply projects. 32 works costing 6.22 billion rupees (~US $ 156 million) for Saurashtra Branch Canal have been taken up and they are planned to be completed by December, 2000. The Kutch Branch Canal is planned to be taken up during 2000-2001. 
  
On completion of the canals of Saurashtra and Kutch regions in SSP, it is anticipated that present actual irrigation in Saurashtra region from existing schemes will be about five times while for Kutch region it would be more than three times than present actual irrigation.

There are existing 14 sugar factories in Gujarat. All of them are outside the command of SSP. Two factories are under consideration in the command area at Amod and Karjan, but no guarantee or assurance has been given for supply of water for sugarcane for these factories from SSP, as it does not supply water for irrigation in summer. Even the quantum of 53 cm or 21 inch delta will not be adequate for sugarcane. Since water would be given to groups of farmers for a block on volumetric basis, there would not be scope for water intensive crops like sugarcane or banana, unless drip irrigation or similar water saving technology is adopted. If water saving technology is adopted with same delta, the question of crop becomes irrelevant.

During the final stage when Madhya Pradesh would be utilising its entire 18.25 MAF of water, the SSP River Bed Power House will not be redundant as it is proposed to operate the underground River Bed Power House as reversible turbine units, by pumping water from the downstream Garudeshwar weir during the non-peaking hours. During the peaking hours i.e. 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening, this water shall be utilised for generating peaking power of 1200 MW. Question of underground power house becoming redundant, therefore, does not arise as it will be based on recirculation of water. In addition to this, 250 MW from the canal head 
power house would also be available as peaking power when the 9.5 MAF water will be passed through the canal head power house.

In no way the Project can consume more power than it is likely to generate. In fact in SSP, the total power generation at installed capacity will be 1450 MW, more than 18% of the total present installed capacity of the State. Perhaps this misconception 
is because of the reversible pump turbines in RBPH. In fact, reversible turbines - 6 units of 200 MW each have been proposed to generate off peak energy by utilizing the surplus energy available during night. On the contrary, this will provide valuable peaking energy to the western grid which is in deficit of peaking energy by 3700 MW and therefore the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of Govt. of India has approved this Project as part of its least cost expansion programe.

Percentage of area submerged to area irrigated is 1.65% in the Sardar Sarovar Project, compared to 4 to 5% in many projects in the country and around the world. The ratio of Project beneficiaries to Project affected persons stands as high as 100:1.