NEW DELHI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chauhan have urged Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz to expedite steps to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat.

The construction of the dam was suspended pending completion of resettlement and rehabilitation of about 30,000 displaced families in the riparian States of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Mr. Soz told The Hindu that he heard out the Chief Ministers, who called on him on Thursday, and appreciated their point of view. "I will discuss it in the Ministry and take an independent decision," he said.

The States have to submit `action taken reports' (ATRs) on the rehabilitation status to the Grievance Redressal Agencies (GRA) appointed under an order of the Supreme Court. The GRAs, in turn, would send their findings to the resettlement and rehabilitation (R and R) sub-group of the Narmada Control Authority. Two of the three States have submitted the ATRs to their GRA, sources said.

After the R and R sub-group considers the ATRs, J. Hari Narayan, NCA Chairman and Secretary, Water Resources, will convene a meeting of the Authority to take a decision on raising the height of the dam to 121 m. P.K. Lahiri, Chairman, Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited, earlier briefed the Chief Ministers on the status of the project. He told them that the construction of the sixth unit of the powerhouse at the dam site would be completed by May-end.

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