Narendra Modi launches first phase of SAUNI project; says ‘Whatever I learnt in Gujarat helped me in Delhi’

With Saurashtra Narmada Avataran for irrigation project was launched in Sanosara village near Dhroll in Jamnagar district of Gujarat

Published: August 30, 2016 2:45 PM IST

By India.com News Desk

Narendra Modi launches first phase of SAUNI project; says 'Whatever I learnt in Gujarat helped me in Delhi'

Jamnagar , Aug 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the first phase of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran for irrigation (SAUNI) project at Sanosara village near Dhroll in Jamnagar district of Gujarat on Tuesday.  Addressing the event, Modi thanked Gujarat for inviting him for the programme.

Modi said, “Whatever I learnt in Gujarat has helped me a lot when I went to Delhi. When I had took oath as (Gujarat) CM, I told farmers that what is most important for you is water. Few people did not like what I said then, they disagreed with me but I remained firm on my stand that water is of prime importance. The water table of Gujarat which was falling began to rise. Check dams were built in large numbers. SAUNI project is an initiative that will make every Gujarati proud. All of us should take note of how this project has come through.”

With the new project, 10 dams and reservoirs of Rajkot, Jamnagar and Morbi will be filled up with water of Narmada river. It is a Rs 12,000 crore project for Saurashtra region which faces shortage of water for irrigation and other domestic purposes. (ALSO READ: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate first phase of SAUNI project today)

Talking about the project, Modi added saying, “Government of India has taken up many initiatives for the welfare of our farmers. We brought a crop insurance scheme that will help the farmers. Gujarat has adopted the Mantra of Vikas. We took up the issue of better road connectivity across India and particularly in villages.”

The project was announced in 2012 when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the four-phased project is expected to be completed before 2019. With the project, over four lakh hectares of land will be irrigated thus solving the water crisis problem to a large extend. Suarashtra comprises of 11 districts and faces drought like situation generally. The region has been reeling under severe scarcity of low rainfall in the last two years.

Modi also tweeted about the event:

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