Rajkot: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate package-8 and package-9 of SAUNI (Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation) yojana link-3 at Rajkot. Over 23 lakh people will get drinking water along with irrigation to 52,317 acre agriculture land across the year thanks to this project. Prime Minister may dedicate this crucial water supply project from the stage of a public meeting which is to be held at Racecourse ground of Rajkot city on July 27.

Thanks to this initiative, Bhadar-1, Veri pond and Fofal dam will get Narmada water connectivity. Meaning they shall be filled with Narmada water when required. Even Aaji – 1 dam will be able to get water of Narmada through pipeline.

There are four link pipelines under SAUNI yojana in Saurashtra area to fill 115 reservoirs with water. The link -3 is for connectivity between Surendranagar district based Bhogavo – 2 dam to Jamnagar district’s Venu -1. Under package 8 of link – 3, two reservoirs are connected through a 34 km long pipeline between Gundasara to Bhadar dam at a cost of Rs. 222.42 crore. Thanks to this scheme, Bhadar – 1 and Veri pond will get Narmada water connectivity, benefitting 20 lakh people of Rajkot city, 2 lakh people of Jetpur and Gondal towns and 75,000 people from across 57 villages under group water supply schemes, in addition to 42,380 acre agricultural area in terms of irrigation water.

Package – 9 of link – 3 has 34.442 km long pipeline network including 6.31 km long pipeline connecting Thebachda to Aaji dam and 28.132 km long pipeline to Jamkandorna based Fofal dam for Narmada water connectivity at a cost of Rs. 141.07 crore. This will benefit 23,000 people across 38 villages and 20 lakh people of Rajkot in terms of drinking water supply, in addition to irrigation in 10,018 acre land.

Till now, SAUNI water was released near Tramba in order to fill up Aaji-1 dam, but now Aaji-1 will be filled with water directly through a pipeline.

In addition to Aaji, Fofal etc dams, the packages 8 and 9 of link-3 will also benefit check dams of around dozen villages. DeshGujarat