Gujarat Cabinet chaired by CM okays Rs.133-crore water supply plan

By our correspondent, Gandhinagar, 10 April 2013

The State Cabinet at its meeting with Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the chair here today decided to increase water supply through the Narmada canal-based pipelines from 80-crore litres to 120-crore litres per day in the wake of inadequate rainfall in the Saurashtra and Kutch region.

Water is being supplied through tankers in 523 villages even as Rs.133.74-crore contingency master plan has been prepared for implementation in likely water shortage villages.

The meeting reviewed the water supply and distribution system from all sources, including Narmada canal-based pipelines, and asked the district authorities to complete the pending works on war-footing to fulfill the people’s need.

According to government spokespersons, Finance Minister Nitin Patel and Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, and also Water Supply Minister Babubhai Bokhiria, no sooner than the newly elected government came to power, every possible step was taken to mitigate the situation and asked the collectors to prepare urgent contingency master plans. Rather, the plans were prepared despite election code of conduct being in force then.

The water supply has been increased form 80-crore litres to 120-crores litres per day for the last six months in 5,588 villages and 78 towns in Saurashtra & Kutch region. Similarly, 287 tube wells have been sunk, including 21 in the last one week, taking the total to 677 in drought-hit villages. In all, 42 rigs are in operation in the state, including 22 in Saurashtra and Kutch region. There are 1,33,757 hand pumps in the state, including 1,662 installed during the last week, while 184 teams are busy repairing hand pumps in the state.

The ministers identified Malia-Morbi-Hirapar, Navda-Vallabhipur, Navda-Botad and Kutch sections as top priority areas under Narmada canal-based pipeline supply where the carrying capacity has been increased by 125 per cent. The daily water supply as in August-2012 to major towns in the region has been increased, like Rajkot from 6.5-cr to 15-cr litre, Jamnagar 2-cr to 6-cr litre, Bhavnagar 2.5-cr to 4-cr litre, Junagadh 20-lakh to 80-lakh litre, Amreli 50-lakh to 1.25-cr litre.

Work on the 51-km long Shetrunji dam to Bhavnagar pipeline is in progress. Narmada water is nearing drought-hit villages in Dhari, Savarkundla and Rajula talukas in Amreli district, and so also in Panch Devda, Khambhalia, Kalyanpur, Okhamandal, Bhanwad, Jamjodhpur and Lalpur talukas in Jamnagar district.

Tender has been issued for Porbandar city Rs.155-crore project, while Narmada water pipeline project has been completed for 118 villages in the district. Water supply has begun in Keshod, Manavadar,Batva, Chorwad and Junagadh towns. Kutch supply increased from 17-crore to 22-crore litre and in remote areas from 4.2-crore to 12-crore litre.

On the administrative front, a new zonal office has been created at Junagadh, appointed over 100 engineers in posts the Saurashtra region, 18 geologist-hydrologists are busy pinpointing site for bore wells.

The ministers said the government is committed to fulfill drinking water needs and appealed for keeping political agenda away and not to mislead the people. They should remember that people had to migrate due previous governments’ failure to tackle water shortage. This government has created a large network of Narmada canal and drinking water pipeline. The Congress-ruled Central Government has also not permitted raising the height of Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam to 138 metres