Following her tour to drought-hit Kutch district, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel announced a slew of relief measures.
Country’s first-ever Rs 345-crore lakhpat-Abdasa Remodel-ing Drinking Water Scheme, being undertaken as a pilot project specifically for livestock. The number of livestock in these three times than that of human population. The project comprise 1,100-km pipeline, three water treatment plants, 180 underground sumps, 29 overhead tanks, to increae milk production in the region.
The Chief Minister also gave details of the proposed Rs 3, 559-crore for 357-km long Kutch Branch Canal project to carry water from the Narmada Main Canal (NMC) and distributing in different villages by constructing three pumping stations costing Rs 515-crore to lift water by 55.3 metres (18-storey high) through an engineering feat. Works costing Rs 1, 427-crore are going on and another canal related work of Rs 1,422-crore are nearing completion.
The Kutch Branch Canal project is scheduled to provide drinking water to eight towns and 886 villages in the district and to provide irrigation water to 1,12,778 hectare in 128 villages in seven talukas of the district.