The Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted to settle water sharing disputes among which group of States and Union Territories?

Introduction / Context:
This question relates to inter state river water disputes in India, specifically the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal. Understanding which States were involved in major river disputes helps in topics covering Indian geography, polity and environmental issues.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The tribunal under discussion is the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal.
• It was constituted to resolve conflicts over sharing the waters of the Narmada river.
• Several combinations of States and Union Territories are given as options.

Concept / Approach:
The Narmada river flows through and impacts multiple States, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and also has relevance for Rajasthan through canal projects. The Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal was set up under the Inter State River Water Disputes Act to adjudicate disputes about use and distribution of Narmada waters among these States. Its award allocated water shares to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Therefore, the correct group of States associated with this tribunal includes all four: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall which States are directly connected with the Narmada river and its larger basin projects.Step 2: Remember that the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal dealt with claims of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.Step 3: Compare this information with the options and see that only option C lists all four States together.Step 4: Conclude that option C is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by thinking of major projects like the Sardar Sarovar dam, which is located in Gujarat but receives water originating in Madhya Pradesh and involving flows through Maharashtra, with canal benefits extended to parts of Rajasthan. Because all four States had stakes in the project, it is logical and historically accurate that they were parties to the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal award.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: Gujarat and Rajasthan alone do not represent the full set of States involved in the Narmada dispute, as key upper riparian States are missing.Option B: Gujarat and Maharashtra are involved but this pair ignores Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.Option D: Gujarat and Daman and Diu is incorrect because the dispute was among major States, not primarily a State and a Union Territory like Daman and Diu.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes remember only one or two States associated with a river because of famous projects and overlook others affected through basin wide planning. Another error is mixing up different tribunals, such as those for Cauvery, Krishna or Godavari. Maintaining a summary list that links each major river dispute to the correct group of States can help in avoiding such confusion during exams.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh