Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flagged off the 12-day statewide ‘Narmada Mahotsav Yatra’ (NMY) from Surendranagar on Wednesday, with a view to creating awareness for the importance of increased water supply from the Narmada canal-based projects to different parts of the state.
Speaking at the flagged off ceremony, the Chief Minister said the procession after meandering through villages across the state will culminate at Dabhoi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on September 17. CM Rupani appealed to the people to worship the Narmada waters during the Yatra and resolve for judicious use of water.
The artists mounting the tableaus in the Yatra, accompanying Ma Narmada’s chariot, will depict achievements of the Agriculture and Veterinary Departments, Zalawad region’s artifacts, handicrafts and folk culture, to be followed by police band and youth on motorcycles.
He thanked the Prime Minister for the permission to close the radial sluice gates at the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam on the Narmada River near Madhya Pradesh border on June 16 last that ‘opened up’ the gates for Gujarat to lead the green revolution in the country. Raising the dam’s height increased the reservoir’s capacity by 3.75 times. He condemned the previous governments for delaying the SSP before 1995 and the present opposition parties’ criticisms for the heck of criticism.
He said that Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Yojna (SAUNI) launched by PM Modi in 2014 will irrigate total 62.86-lakh hectares land, including 3-lakh hectares in 319 villages in Surendranagar district alone, facilitating farmers take three crops a year, improving the economy of the villages. All the roads in the state damaged during the rains would be repaired on a war footing from September 15 to December 15, 2017, he added.
A large number of elected representatives, prominent citizens, cooperative leaders and religious persons welcomed Rupani with garlands and mementoes.