Only in this valley in India one can find an
uninterrupted chain of human activity from
prehistory
to
the
historical
period.
Archaeologists call the Narmada Valley a
treasure trove. In 1872, the first real
evidences of human habitation were found
in the gravel beds of the Narmada. The first
signs of prehistoric paintings are present in
the hills of Bhimbetka and Adamgarh. The
Narmada Kund in Amarkantak
valley has witnessed from the earliest
. It is known as the life line of Madhya
indications of human existence at sites near
Pradesh. In recent past Narmada was in
Hoshangabad and Narsimhapur to the ups
news for its controversial dams.
and downs of Indian history.
It is
flowing from East to West after originating
Narmada is associated with the hills, forests
in Amarkanatak hill top of Vidhya hills.
and the tribal life of central India. Tribal
Only three Major rivers flows from East to
settlements of the Baiga, Gond, Korku, Bhil
West in India; other than Narmada these two
and Bhilala tribes have been cultivating the
are Tapti and Mahi. Narmada is flowing
valley and banks of the Narmada for
through Vindhya and Satpura hill ranges
millennia, living with the forest. River
through the Rift valley. It flows towards
Narmada is inalienably associated with these
west over a length of 1,312 km before
tribal society. 'Mother Narmada' has inspired
merging with the Gulf of Cambay into
numerous songs, and figures prominently in
the Arabian Sea, 30 km west of Bharuch city
the folklore of both tribals and non-tribals.
in Gujarat. The Narmada basin covers
Thousands of devotees circumambulate the
98,976 sq km area and is the northern
river in the annual Narmada parikrama. No
boundary of the Deccan plateau. It is
other river in the world is so honored.
virtually the borderline of North and South
Only about 160 Kms of Narmada’s total
India. The basin covers large areas in the
1312
states of Madhya Pradesh(86%), Gujarat
However, Gujarat claimed a higher share of
(14%) and a comparatively smaller area
the Narmada water for itself for its “Drought
(2%) in Maharashtra.
prone area” in the far-off Kutch region. In
Kms
length
flows
in
Gujarat.
November 1969, the Government of India
6
Integrated River Basin Management Society