New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minster Vijay Rupani laid the foundation stone digitally of three water supply improvement scheme worth Rs. 48.62 crores of rural Ahmedabad. This will benefit 3.74 lakh people with pure and adequate drinking water from 128 villages of 7 talukas of rural Ahmedabad.
The CM expressed the clear view that Gujarat has taken the lead in providing pure drinking water to the hinterland villages including Saurashtra, Kutch-North Gujarat with the construction of huge water grid in the state.
Water Supply Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya joined on the occasion from Jasdan-Vinchhiya while Minister of State for Home Affairs Pradipsinh Jadeja joined the video conference from Chief Minister’s residence.
Under these improvement schemes, Saurashtra branch canal based improvement scheme of Rs. 22.95 crore will benefit 54 villages of Viramgam, Bavala and Sanand talukas, Zinjuwadia branch canal-based improvement scheme of Rs 9.18 crore is to benefit 44 villages of Viramgam, Mandal, Detroj while the Vahelal branch canal-based improvement scheme of Rs 13.83 crore will benefit 30 villages of Daskaroi.
MP Mahendra Munjpara, H. L. Patel, MLA’s Babubhai Patel as well as District Panchayat President and office bearers joined the occasion.
Describing the dire reality of water crisis in Gujarat in the past under the Congress governments, especially in the 80s and 90s, the Chief Minister said that Saurashtra-Kutch North-Gujarat has struggled for water and has suffered a lot. Situation of riots arose due to water scarcity; water was delivered by train in Saurashtra. They even did not bother about it and no budget was allocated for it. During congress rule foundations stones of various schemes were laid but no progress was found after that.
CM Shri @vijayrupanibjp performed e-Khatmuhurt today for Rs.48.62 crore worth three water supply augmentation schemes to supply clean drinking water to 3.74 lakh people of 128 villages of Ahmedabad rural district. pic.twitter.com/h5aorHv3CY
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) December 10, 2020
As soon as Narendra Modi took over as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he gave priority to water planning for water supply and making water the basis of development. In this regard, the Chief Minister said that water has been supplied to the villages by laying 700, 900 km of pipelines based on reservoirs like Narmada, Kadana, Ukai in the state. “Earlier we used to get only 45 liters of water per person but today we give 100 liters,” said Rupani.
The CM said that we have initiated water supply works worth crores of rupees. In just a span of three days, works worth Rs. 2276 crore have been completed for various water supply schemes. This proves that we are not the people who have been sitting saying “no source” but we have moved ahead in a planned manner with the sentiment and mantra of “Jya Manvi Tya Suvidha” (Facilities where there are humans) and have set up surface water sources.
Rupani said that there was a time when people were not willing to marry their daughters in water-scarce villages. Today, Gujarat has achieved 80% success to deliver tap water. Earlier, only 24 per cent of households had access to tap water. Gujarat will meet the target of 100 per cent tap water two years earlier, i.e. in 2022.
Rupani said that “We want to make future generations healthy, nourishing and free from water scarcity” With the successful dimensions of increasing water resources and increasing water storage capacity in the state, we will make Gujarat a water surplus state like power surplus state.
The CM added that by making water the basis of development, this government is committed to create the culmination of all-round development like agriculture, irrigation, education, health.
