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The Narmada river is central India’s most important waterway. The 1312-km-long perennial river flows through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, before emptying into the Gulf of Khambat near Bharuch. The first 1,077 km of the river flows in Madhya Pradesh and over the next 35 km, it forms the boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Again for the next 39 km, it forms the boundary between Maharashtra and Gujarat. The last stretch of 161 km lies in Gujarat. Out of the total catchment area of about 1 lakh sq. km 87% lies in Madhya Pradesh, 2% in Maharashtra and 11% in Gujarat. It is India’s fifth-largest river and the larger of the two Indian rivers that flow from east to west, the other being the Tapti. The Narmada is also regarded as the dividing line between North and South India, as it flows through the valley formed by the Vindhyas to the north and Satpura ranges to the south.
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