KalingaTV News Network
Kevadia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Sardar Sarovar dam built on the Narmada river at Kevadia in Gujarat to the nation on the occasion of his 67th birthday on Sunday.
Modi unveiled the plaque dedicating the second biggest dam in the world to the nation after performing a puja at the site.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
The Sardar Sarovar Project, billed as the lifeline of Gujarat, will provide water to more than half the state’s 18144 villages and irrigate more than 21 lakh hectares of land.
The project will irrigate 2,46,000 hectares of land in the strategically important desert districts of Barmer and Jalore in Rajasthan and 37,500 hectares in the tribal hilly tract of Maharashtra.
The foundation stone of the dam was laid on April 5, 1961 by the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. However, it took 56 years to finally complete its construction due to court cases and protests by the affected villagers.
Ms Kalinga