From Nehru To PM Modi: Amit Shah Traces Narmada Project’s Gujarat Journey

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday recalled the long history of the Narmada project, saying its foundation stone was laid by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, while its gates were opened after PM Narendra Modi became Prime Minister.

Addressing the inauguration of the Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar at Dudhala in Amreli district, Shah said the Narmada project had remained a long-standing undertaking before its water eventually reached large parts of Gujarat.

“The foundation stone of the Narmada project was laid by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964. I was born in 1964. Its gates were opened when Narendra Bhai became Prime Minister,” Shah said.

Shah said Narmada water was subsequently taken across Saurashtra and Kutch, up to Khavda. He highlighted the Sauni Yojana, under which surplus Narmada water was channelled towards dams and rivers in Saurashtra.

The Minister linked Gujarat’s water conservation efforts to the reduction in drought conditions. He further recalled the water scarcity and relief works during the drought years of 1985, 1986 and 1987.

“PM Modi, after becoming Chief Minister in 2001, initiated a series of water conservation and irrigation measures. In 2003, PM Narendra Modi worked to construct 1.5 lakh check dams in a single year,” he said.

Shah referred to the construction and filling of thousands of lakes, the Sujalam Sufalam Yojana, drip and sprinkler irrigation systems and the Centre’s Catch the Rain campaign. He said the creation of the Ministry of Jal Shakti after PM Modi became Prime Minister provided greater institutional focus to water conservation, while efforts were made to improve irrigation capacity by removing bottlenecks in existing dams.

Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar

On Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar, Shah said Harikrishna Foundation founder Savjibhai Dholakia had told him two years ago about his plan to build a lake. The completed 21-acre lake is 360 metres long, 260 metres wide and four metres deep.

Shah said Dholakia had informed him that groundwater levels had risen and wells had been revived following the conservation work.

“Dholakia’s foundation had contributed to the revival of the Gagadiya river and the construction of 208 lakes,” he said.

The Minister said such initiatives would encourage collective water conservation efforts across Saurashtra and Gujarat.

“Those whom God has blessed will certainly come forward among the people to spend for saving water. They will be inspired, and people will take forward collective water conservation works,” Shah said.

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