Modi to inaugurate first phase of SAUNI project today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of SAUNI (Saurashtra Narmada Avataran for Irrigation) project at Sanosara village near Dhroll in Jamnagar district of Gujarat today. Under the project, nearly 10 dams and reservoirs of Rajkot, Jamnagar and Morbi will be filled up with the water of Narmada river. 

The 12,000 crore rupees project is considered to be an ambitious one for Mr. Modi, to fill up nearly 115 dams of Saurashtra region which faces shortage of water for irrigation and drinking purposes. It was announced in 2012 when Mr. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

After inaugurating the project the Prime Minister will address the public gathering at Sanosara town in at Dhrol taluka in Jamnagar district. Gujrat Chief



Minister Vijay Rupani said, the four-phased project is expected to be completed before 2019. He said that it will irrigate over 4 lakh hectares of land and solve the water problem of the region to a large extent.

Sources said during monsoon, on an average around three MAFt (million acre feet) water overflows from Sardar Sarovar dam and flows into sea.The government plans to transfer one MAFt of excess water to dams of Saurashtra, using existing canal networks and then laying a web of pipelines to fill dams that are located in the range of 300 to 500 kms from Sardar Sarovar dam.

Saruashtra, which comprises 11 districts, faces drought like situation often and has been reeling under severe water scarcity due to scanty rainfall in the last two years.