Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Vijaybhai Rupani today asserted that state wide ambitious campaign ‘Sujlam Suflam Jal Abhiyaan – 2018’ (SSJA_2018), to be launched on “Gujarat Gaurav Din” on May 1st, 2018,’ is aimed at connecting Jan Shakti (People’s power) with Jal Shakti (Water Power) and would turn into festival of massive hard works. The campaign is intended to build a ‘Powerful Gujarat’ which would pave a way for the nation to follow.

The Chief Minster said that “saving water is saving life”. The SSJA-2018 is a month long campaign and going to be launched from May 1st on ‘Gujarat Gaurav Din’ (Gujarat Formation Day).

The Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Nitinbhai Patel said that the SSJA-2018 would be launched by Mr. Rupani with commencing lake deepening works at Kosamdi village of Ankleshwar taluka in Bharuch district. As a part of the campaign, the members of council of ministers, union ministers, chairmen of boards’ and nigams’, MPs, and other dignitaries would launch the water works programmes in various parts of the state.

Mr. Rupani said that deepening of water bodies would increase their capacity to store 11,000 lakh cubic feet rain water, which would be utilized for irrigating the monsoon crops as well as providing additional irrigation waters to the farmers. It would also raise the level of underground waters. This water would be supplied without charging any royalty. The voluntary organizations would also join in the campaign.

As a part of one month long campaign, besides deepening of water bodies, other works like cleaning and repairing of canals and lakes, revival of rivers, khet talavadis, terrace talavadis, recharging of underground water bodies, and others would also be undertaken, the Chief Minister said and added that during this period over 4,000 JCB Hitachi and Pokland, and over 8,000 tractors and dumpers would also be pressed into the service.

Under the Mahatma Gandhi Narega Yojna, as a part of the SSJA-2018, as many as 10570 works would be done. This would be covering all the 33 districts of the state with deepening of 6,260 lakes and check-dams, construction of 886 check-dams, 567 Pala (earthen walls), gabion walls and others, he said.

For the proper implementation of the entire campaign, a state level committee has been formed, under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary. The committee would make time to time reviews of the entire campaign.

– Information