Foreword
The Narnlada liver is one of the major interstate livers of the country, flowing westward through the States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and draining into the Gulf of Khambat of Arabian sea. In tenns of catchment area, it is the seventh largest among the fourteen major liver basins in our country.

The important urban centres in the basin are Mandla, Jabal~ur, Hoshangabad, Khandwa and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh; and Bharuch in Gujarat. There are 40 large and 70 medium sc3Je industlial units operating besides large number of small scale units in the basin.

The liver water quality of Narmada from its oligin (Amarkantak in Madya pradesh) to mouth (Bharuch in Gujarat) is relatively similar except for the estuarine zone because of tidal effects which are evident near Bharuch.

The detelioration of water quality in the main stream of Nannada is from Maheshwar to Gurudeshwar; and in the lower reaches of Bharuch at Golden Blidge.

The study reported herein was undertaken with the objective offonnulatillg an action plan to restore and maintain the liver water quality at such level as are needed to sustain the designated best use of the different stretches of the liver. The State Pollution Control Boards of Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat collected the basic data and compiled the draft report for the respective parts of the basin. The reports were reviewed, compiled, edited and presented in the fonn ofa Comprehensive River Basin report by Shli Chiranjit Chakraverty , Consultant, according to the guidelines of the Central Board.

Shri iT. Venugopal, Dr. R.C. Trivedi, Dr. (Mrs.) K.K. Saxena, ShliV. Rajan and Shli R.M. Bhardwaj coordinated with
the State Pollution Control Boards in planning, collection of data and bringing out the document in the published fonn.

The Central Board acknowledges the cooperation received from the State Pollution Control Boards of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. I hope, the document will be useful to concerned with the quality of river waters.