Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday dedicated the Rs1, 667-crore Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojna link-4, connecting the Ankadiya dam near Jasdan’s famous Panchal Bhoomi (Draupadi’s birthplace) with the Narmada canal and pipeline based scheme.
With this initiative, the dam is brimming with water after about 25 years that too in peak summer. Speaking on the occasion, Rupani said the SAUNI Yojana has so far filled up 21 dams, 48 lakes and 174 check dams, while contract has been awarded for more works worth Rs6,500-crore to be completed soon.
The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Gujarat on June 29 to link the Rajkot city’s source of water Aji dam, besides Nyari, lalpari reservoirs, with the Narmada waters. While people consider encircling the Narmada river right from its origin to estuary as pious, he said, the SAUNI Yojna is aimed at encircling once drought-prone Saurashtra region.
He further said that if the farmers get water, electricity and fertilizer they can raise three crops a year. The pro-farmer Gujarat Government has procured groundnut worth Rs1,000 crore and Rs600-crore tuar dal at support price to ensure they do not fall below the remunerative prices.