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Gujarat celebrates as Sardar Sarovar dam touches 110 metres

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD, JULY 1. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat today celebrated the completion of the construction of 110 metres of the 138-metre Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada river that will make the dam functional from this year. The Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and the members of his Cabinet attended the celebrations, organised outside the BJP State headquarters here to mark the day. In their enthusiasm, the partymen even ignored the ban on bursting of crackers in public places.

According to the Agriculture Minister, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, with the dam height reaching 110 metres, it would now be possible to release the dam water through the main canal instead of the Irrigation By-Pass Tunnel (IBPT) used during the last couple of years in a limited way to overcome the drought situation. The canal will now be able to carry about half its total capacity of 40,000 cusecs of water. With the main canal becoming functional, the Narmada waters will now reach Kutch district for irrigation purposes though in a small quantity.

Besides irrigation, it will now also be possible to start generating electricity from the canal-head power stations. The first 250 MW power generating unit will start functioning as soon as the water is released in the main canal while the second unit with 200 MW capacity will be commissioned after about two months. This will be followed by the commissioning of one 200 MW unit every four months, to reach the total generating capacity of 1,450 MW, of which Madhya Pradesh will have the biggest share of 56 per cent.

Describing the day as "historic," Mr. Modi said the people of Gujarat had been eagerly waiting for the day when their dream of harnessing the Narmada waters would become a reality. He said the Government would make all efforts for the completion of the project at the earliest when the State would be able to harness its full quota of nine million acre feet of Narmada waters that would irrigate over 18 lakh hectares of cultivable land besides solving the drinking water problems.

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• Gujarat celebrates as Sardar Sarovar dam touches 110 metres

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