Amreli: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated the ‘Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar’, a newly constructed water reservoir on the Gagadiyo river near Dudhala village of Amreli district, underlining the role of water conservation in addressing drought and improving groundwater availability.
The reservoir, constructed by the Dholakia Foundation, covers about 21 acres and is expected to benefit agriculture and local residents by improving water availability and groundwater conservation.
The lake, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs four crore over an area of 80,000 square feet, will benefit agriculture and residents of the area.
Union Minister Shah inaugurated the project in the presence of Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and other Ministers.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Shah praised the Dholakia family’s work in water conservation and said the initiative to revive rivers and deepen ponds had brought significant benefits to the region.
“The newly inaugurated reservoir could store millions of litres of water and referred to the revival of groundwater levels and wells following such conservation efforts,” he said.
Union Minister Shah also highlighted Gujarat’s water conservation initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, recalling the construction of 1.5 lakh check dams in the state in 2003.
He noted that the Saurashtra Narmada Avtran Irrigation (SAUNI Yojana) had allowed surplus rainwater to be stored and Narmada water to reach Saurashtra, Kutch and Khavda, while around 10,000 reservoirs in North and Central Gujarat were being filled with Narmada water.
“Through the SAUNI Yojana, surplus water has been stored and today Narmada water has reached the entire Saurashtra-Kutch region and up to Khavda,” Union Minister Shah said.
He added that the establishment of the Jal Shakti Ministry by PM Modi had placed greater emphasis on water conservation and public participation, adding that irrigation capacity had increased by 160 per cent.
He also urged people to conserve every drop of rainwater and recharge groundwater to reduce the risk of drought.
Union Minister Shah praised Savjibhai Dholakia for constructing 208 lakes and referred to his receipt of the Padma Shri despite, according to the Union Home Minister, not applying for the award.
“Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna are not honours for families or acquaintances,” he said, adding that such awards were meant for people who devoted their lives to public service without seeking recognition.
Deputy Chief Minister Sanghavi described the revival of Saurashtra’s dried-up rivers as an “invaluable gift for future generations”.
He also said Union Minister Amit Shah had shown a sustained interest in water conservation, environmental protection and social development, including tree plantation and establishing village libraries.
Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani; Minister of State for Energy, Kaushik Vekariya; Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia; MP Bharat Sutariya and other public representatives and citizens attended the inauguration.
(IANS)
