Only 2% water is supplied to industries, 12.5 time more charged: Gujarat govt

Gandhinagar

Gujarat government today said that the government supplies only 2% of total volume of water to industries while 98% water is supplied to farmers for irrigation, and citizens for drinking purposes.

State Minister and government spokesperson Shri Nitin Patel shared this detail in reply to Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi’s press statement yesterday.

Shri Patel said that Gujarat gets 9 million acre ft volume of water out of total 28 million acre ft from Sardar Sarovar dam.

Of this 76% or 2,910 million cubic meter water in year 2015 and 10,000 million cubic meter water in year 2015-16 which is 87% has been supplied to irrigation sector.

The minister further said that through over 2750 km long bulk pipeline network, 1,20,000 distribution pipeline, 11,700 underground sumps and more than 11,900 tall water tanks, the government supplies water at negligible rate s to more than 11,000 villages and 190 towns/cities.

The government has supplied Narmada water to international border 800 kms away in Kutch, the minister added.

He said government has supplied daily 3,000 MLD or 300 crore liter water eliminating tanker raj during Congress rule.

The state government spends Rs 16-25 transportation cost from its own fund and supplies 1,000 liter water to gram panchayats for just Rs 2, municipalities just Rs 4 and municipal corporations for just Rs 6.

Against this, industries are charged Rs 25 for 1,000 liter water which is 12.5 time high. Congress’s allegation that industries are supplied crores of liter of water is baseless and lie as the volume of supply to industries is 120 MLD only.

In year 2015, 1196.47 million cubic liter watr has been supplied for home usage while 24.66 for industries. In 2016, 1100 million cubic liter water has been planned for supply to home users, while only 2% water shall be supplied for industrial purpose.

– DeshGujarat