Bharuch

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel launched the raft concrete work at the world’s tallest 182-metre high ‘Statue of Unity’ near the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam on River Narmada to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s death anniversary today.

The statue, taking shape on the Sadhu-Bet mound in the midst of the Narmada,3.1-km downstream the dam, will use 5,600 Metric Tonnes (MT) of Structural Steel and 66,000 MT of concrete.

Mrs. Patel paid tributes to Sardar Patel by offering a cotton yank on his portrait. The District Administration presented a cheque for the Van Sanjivani Ambulance.

Speaking on the occasion, she said the Statue of Unity under construction would of interest for engineering students and would provide jobs to the tribal people in the surrounding areas, improving the economy of the region. And, once completed, the statue would be a centre of big tourists’ attraction.

The Chief Minister also visited the site of SSP dam and inspected the work on installing sluice gates atop the spillway which would raise the dam’s height from 121.92 metres to 138.68 metres. The work on raising the dam’s height was started on the 17th day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuming office at the Centre.

She said the work on 29 piers and 30 bridge spans is complete, while the work on 12 sluice gates is on. She hoped the work would be completed as per schedule by December 2016. Similarly, she said that once the dam’s height is raised to maximum capacity, the canal water would the border areas of Kutch and Gujarat would turn into a Eden Garden It was a dream of Sardar Patel. The foundation stone of the dam was laid in 1960.

Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNL) Chairman S.R. Rathore, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rastriya Ekta Trust Member-Secretary-cum-Principal Secretary K. Sriniwas briefed the Chief Minister about the modern technology of raft concrete foundation.

Those present at the sites included MLAs Motilal Vasava and Shabdasharan Tadvi, senior engineers of SSNL and engineering students.

– Information