Rajpipala: The district administration in Narmada which has implemented a provisional traffic movement plan in and around the Statue of Unity site close to Kevadia might implement it, permanently after studying its various aspects.

Currently no private tourist 4 wheeler vehicle can go beyond Kevadiya which is around 3.5 km from Sadhu Bet, the seat of 182 meter tall statue of Sardar Patel, the tallest statue in the world.

Collector of Narmada R S Ninama said that due to parking issues a provisional traffic plan has been put in place. All the tourist cars could come up to Kevadiya only from there buses run by the SoU management or private ones carry them to it.

‘As there are large number of private vehicles, cars etc of staffs of the SoU, Sardar Sarovar Dam project etc and also of the villages of the six villages, we are studying various aspects. Also there are two approach roads to the statue of unity site one from Garudeshwar, Kevadia and the other from Gora and Surpaneshwar temple. Currently only buses for tourists are allowed. This serves two purposes. One is that the parking issue is resolved and the second the very spirit of unity is maintained as in a bus tourists from different parts of the country and the state sit together,’ the collector said.

‘We have parking lot of around 800 cars near the Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan in Kevadia and we can accommodate much more in nearby areas like old helipad, Reva bhawan etc. For private and school buses we have enough parking lot in the statue of unity premises too,’ he said adding that the buses would be permanently allowed.

Ninama said that the buses follow a circular route of around 19 km to and fro Kevadia and goes to nine points. Around 20 buses by the SoU management are plying currently.

He said that a final traffic plan would be put in place after studying the efficacy of the provisional one.

DeshGujarat