The Chief Minister's Office of Gujarat announced on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has decided to release irrigation water from Narmada Project canals starting Thursday, 11 June 2026 — ahead of the originally scheduled date — following a high-level meeting with senior Narmada Project officials.

The post, shared in Gujarati, states that CM Patel took the decision 'ખેડૂતોના વિશાળ હિતમાં' ('in the broad interest of farmers') after considering the irrigation water requirements for standing crops. The early release was described as a significant step taken after deliberations with senior officials of the Narmada scheme.

Context

Gujarat draws irrigation water for its farmers through the extensive canal network fed by the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river. The reservoir's water levels at this time of year — just before the southwest monsoon — are critical for determining how much water can be released into the canal system for kharif crop irrigation.

The decision to advance the release date reflects the state government's effort to ensure that farmers in the canal command area have adequate water for sowing and early crop growth before the monsoon arrives.

Policy Backdrop

Pre-monsoon water releases from Narmada canals have been a recurring administrative practice since the main canal systems became operational in the early 2000s. Gujarat's share of Narmada waters is governed by the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal award of 1979, with subsequent Supreme Court orders in 2000 and 2017 enabling full-height reservoir operation and fixing state-wise allocations.

Successive Gujarat governments have treated the Narmada Project canal network as the primary instrument for stabilising agricultural water supply, particularly in drought-prone regions such as North Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch, where dependence on surface irrigation is highest.

Stakeholders and Impact

The beneficiaries of this decision are farmers across the Narmada canal command area in Gujarat, who rely on canal releases to irrigate kharif crops such as cotton, groundnut, and pulses in the weeks leading up to the monsoon. An early release provides a buffer for farmers who may have already begun sowing in anticipation of seasonal rainfall.

District agriculture offices in the command area are expected to coordinate with irrigation authorities to ensure equitable distribution of water through the canal network once the release begins on 11 June.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the actual discharge volumes released from 11 June onward and whether any adjustments are announced after the first significant monsoon spell reaches Gujarat. The state government is likely to monitor reservoir levels at Sardar Sarovar closely and calibrate further releases based on rainfall patterns.

Feedback from district agriculture offices on sowing coverage and water utilisation across the command area will be an early indicator of whether the advance release achieves its intended impact for Gujarat's farming community.