With the aim to make Gujarat a water surplus state, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has dedicated Rs 417 crore drinking water project for Vadodara district and Rs 46 crore facilities around Shri Kuber Bhandari pilgrim centre at Karnali.
Earlier, the state's entire budget used to be Rs 8,000 crore, but it has now grown to Rs 14,000 crore on drinking water management alone. It shows that the state government is committed to resolve the problems related to water, claimed the CM.
The drinking water project includes Rs 71.86 crore Dabhoi Water Supply Group part-2 for 86,000 oustees of Narmada project in 74 villages and 14 hamlets in parts taluka, and foundation laying of Rs 184.50 crore Narmada canal-based bulk pipeline project for 183 villages and Karjan town in Shinor, Karjan and Vadodara talukas.
Speaking at a function from Dabhoi, the CM said that water is our prerequisite and a priority as the state government is committed to make the water problem a matter of past, to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project Nal Se Jal for providing potable tap water in every house by the end of 2021.
He also laid stone of Rs 161.03 crore Mahi river-based Group Water Supply Scheme to provide drinking water to 88 villages, 34 hamlets and Padra town in Vadodara district. He also released a book — Panch Jal Setu — published by the district administration.
Rupani recalled how the state has moved forward from days of water trains to Rajkot and supplying drinking water through tankers during summer, a source of corruption, the rich cornering the bulk of water from tankers. The Group Water Supply Schemes, which were in its infancy, have been expanded to 8,686 villages now through 2,610 km bulk pipeline at a cost of Rs 37,564 crore by the BJP government after 2,000 under the leadership of former Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Water is supplied through pipeline in 100% houses in Gandhinagar, Porbandar, Anand, Mehsana and Botad districts.
He also said the state government has launched a project on October 2 to connect all schools and anganwadis with tap water in 100 days as part of Prime Minister's Nal Se Jal. About one lakh homes are connected by tap water in the state every month.
Rupani also informed that Prime Minister will lay stone of a desalination plant at Mandvi in Kutch on December 15 to meet demand for the district. The state government is relentlessly working to meet people's aspirations and expectations for ease of doing business and ease of living, implementing Seva Setu, fighting Covid-19.
Gujarat Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rajendrabhai Trivedi, Water Supply Minister Kunwarji Bavaliya and Water Supply Board Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi and Collector Shalini Agrawal also spoke on the occasion.
Those present included Minister Dilipbhai Thakor, Minister of State Yogeshbhai Patel, MPs Ranjanben Bhatt and Gitaben Rathwa, District Panchayat President Ilaben Chauhan, MLAs Shaileshbhai Mehta, Ketanbhai Inamdar, Akshay Patel, Jitendra Sukhadiya, Madhubhai Shrivastava, Manishaben Vakil, and Seemaben Mobile, among others.
