Kenwal Lake in Anand to undergo desilting and re-molding at a cost of ₹79 crore: Minister

Anand: The desilting and remolding of Kenwal Lake, a crucial water body in Anand, will be undertaken at a cost of ₹79 crore. The approval for this project has been granted after the tendering process, which is expected to conclude soon. This approximately 16-year-old lake spans 525 hectares, and the state government aims to restore it to its original condition by desilting and remolding around 17 to 18 percent of its area, said Water Resources and Water Supply Minister Kunwarjibhai Bawaliya while addressing questions raised by MLAs in the Legislative Assembly.

Providing further details, Minister Bawaliya stated that Kenwal Lake supplies drinking water to nearly 1,987 villages and provides irrigation water to 1,436 hectares of farmland. Additionally, it supplies water to nine cities, including Ahmedabad. Along with desilting, the project will include strengthening the embankment, constructing a surrounding wall, installing paver blocks on the upper side, and developing a road.

While responding to a sub-question, the minister explained that under the water supply scheme, water is supplied to Saurashtra, including various regions, through group water supply, Khambhat Municipality, and the Saurashtra pipeline. The scheme serves three purposes: irrigation, drinking water, and fisheries.

Minister Bawaliya also acknowledged the contributions of former Water Supply Minister Narottambhai Patel, stating that Patel had initially implemented this scheme to ensure water supply to Saurashtra, particularly to his constituency, Jasdan, in the best interest of citizens, without any discrimination. He described this effort as truly commendable. DeshGujarat