Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the filling of Aji Dam near Rajkot under Sauni Yojana. With this Narmada river waters started getting collected in Rajkot’s main water reservoir Aji dam.
The Narmada water reaching the dam will resolve the water woes of the people of this city in Saurashtra region which has been facing perennial water shortage due to deficient rains.
Aji River is one of the main rivers of saurashtra (region), Gujarat State. It is called the lifeline of Rajkot City and separates Rajkot in east-west parts. There are four dams on Aji River, the water from which is used for agriculture and as drinking water.
Perennially facing deficient rains, Aji dam has overflown for only 11 times in the last 40 years. In the years when the dam is not filled, people of the city face water scarcity.
Modi formally welcomed Narmada dam water into the Aji dam. Aji dam is located some 450 kms from Narmada dam in South Gujarat.
The dam has been filled with water of Narmada under Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation Yojna (SAUNI), which envisages to fill up 115 dams of parched region by laying a network of pipelines from canals of the Narmada dam project.
The constant supply of water in dams in Saurashtra region connected under SAUNI Yojana will help farmers reach new heights of prosperity.
With completion of Narmada dam project on the river Narmada, people of the state will reap rich dividends in the coming years.
The prime minister dedicated phase 1 (link 2) of the SAUNI project and laying the foundation stone for the Phase-2 of Link 3 of the project.
Modi also inaugurated the renovated Nyari 1 dam near Rajkot, whose height has been increased to store 33 per cent more water during monsoon, and launched a 16-kilometres express feeder line to connect Nyari 1 and Ajii 1 dam to different parts of Rajkot city.
SAUNI YOJANA:
SAUNI is an ambitious project of the state government to divert one million acre feet of floodwaters of Narmada dam to 115 reservoirs of Saurashtra through an extensive network of pipelines and augment irrigation facilities in the semi-arid region.
The project is also aimed at easing shortage of drinking water that the region faces almost every summer.
The irrigation department has laid 31-km-long pipeline of three metre diametre in seven months at the cost of Rs380 crore.