Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day visit to the state to witness the Sardar Sarovar Dam reaching its Full Reservoir Level on Tuesday, recounted the struggles the state faced in completing the project.
Addressing a public rally at Kevadia after taking a tour of the Statue of Unity (SoU) and the facilities available around the tourist site, PM Modi reminded the state about how water from the dam helped change the situation in the state. He also performed a puja at the Narmada river.
"Earlier," he said on Tuesday, which also happened to be his 69th birthday, "they would go weeks without water. Gunfights erupted over water and women had to walk 10 kms for water in Kutch and Saurashtra. Trains would supply water to Surendranagar and Jamnagar. But today, the dam is at full and every citizen has contributed to this achievement. There was a time when even achieving a height of 122-metre for the dam was considered a big task." He added that the project now benefits Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan too.
Modi arrived in the state on Monday and visited his mother, Heerabai, at around 11 am at her residence in Gandhinagar to seek her blessings. He also had a Gujarati thali with her for lunch. He then released butterflies at the Butterfly Garden in Kevadiya and honoured the saffron-coloured Tiger butterfly as the state butterfly. He also visited Khalvani Eco-Tourism site and took a safari ride at the Jungle Safari Tourist Park.
The Prime Minister returned to Gandhinagar in the evening and held a meeting with the Chief Minister and top functionaries of the state. He also met businessmen from the plastic manufacturing industry, and emphasised on the need to focus on recycling.
Jam-Packed Janmadin
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PM Narendra Modi arrived in the state on Monday and witnessed the Sardar Sarovar Dam reaching its Full Reservoir Level on Tuesday
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He took a tour of the Statue of Unity and in a public address, urged visitors to not leave plastic at the site
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| He also released butterflies at the Butterfly Garden in Kevadiya and appointed the saffron-coloured Tiger butterfly as the state butterfly |
Representatives of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry were also present at the meeting.
On his tour of the SoU, PM Modi said that it took him four hours to see everything. "It took me this long to see the place despite all the roads being cleared for me. In the future, tourists will stay here for two to four days," he said, urging the public to ensure that the area is free of plastic. "SoU has helped provide employment to locals and tribal. When the project is completed, more employment will be generated. On average, 8,500 people will visit the place every day, while on Janmashtami, the number shot up to 34,000," he said.
He also said that the SoU had put Kevadia and Gujarat on the World Tourism Map, and over 23 lakh tourists have visited the place so far.
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