Narendra Modi in Gujarat as it happened: PM inaugurates Sardar Sarovar dam, says BJP-led Centre sensitive to needs of farmers

Sardar Sarovar project expected to provide potable water to 53% of Gujarat’s villages

The Sardar Sarovar dam is intended to provide drinking water to 131 urban centres and 9,633 villages (53 percent of total 18,144 villages of Gujarat) and irrigation facilities for 18.54 hectares of land covering 3,112 villages under 73 talukas in 15 districts.

Besides Gujarat, the Narmada canal will also irrigate 2,46,000 hectares of land in the desert districts of Barmer and Jalore of Rajasthan.

PTI

Narmada Bachao Andolan’s history

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), led by activist Medha Patkar, launched an anti-dam agitation  and took the matter to the Supreme Court over environmental concerns and the rehabilitation of tribals from their dwellings as their lands were likely to be submerged in the dam water.

The Gujarat government promised in the court to give a robust rehabilitation package to those affected, but the NBA did not accept it. In 1996, the Supreme Court stayed the project, further delaying the work on the dam.

The apex court, on October 18, 2000, in a 2-1 majority judgement, allowed construction of the dam up to the height of 138 metres subject to completion of the rehabilitation process. However, despite the court verdict, the construction of the dam continued to face hurdles on rehabilitation issue. 

In response to the NBA, the pro-dam people of Gujarat also launched many agitations citing its benefits. Modi sat on a 51-hour fast in 2006 as the Gujarat chief

minister after the UPA government refused to allow raising the height of the dam.

PTI

Controversy around Sardar Sarovar project

The project was mired in many controversies and faced impediments from pro- and anti-dam activists, till finally the Supreme Court gave the nod for its construction in 2000.

The delay in the completion of the dam was due to several reasons, including a dispute between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the sharing of the water and electricity. In 1964, the Centre appointed an expert committee under the chairmanship of Dr AN Khosla, to resolve the dispute.

However, Madhya Pradesh did not agree to the water sharing formula recommended by the Khosla Committee, after which the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal was constituted in 1969. “The tribunal gave its final award in December 1979,” after which the construction was started in 1980, it said.

PTI

Seventeen days after becoming prime minister, Narendra Modi approved raising the dam height to 138 metres

In just 17 days after becoming the prime minister in 2014, the Modi government gave the final permission to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam to 138 metres and install the gates.

Modi at the inauguration of Sardar Sarovar dam on Sunday afternoon

Image courtesy: PTI

‘I can’t dream small,’ said Narendra Modi while inaugurating Sardar Sarovar dam

“You know me, I can’t do small things. I don’t think small, don’t do small things. With 1.25 billion people with me, I can’t dream small,” he said.

PTI

Amit Shah calls Narendra Modi ‘personification of spirit of India’

Lavishing praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 67th birthday, Mr Shah said the prime minister’s life in many ways was a “personification of the spirit of India” and claimed his sensitivity towards the aspirations of the poor had led to “historic poverty alleviation initiatives taking shape at a scale unheard of in the history” of India.

Under the Modi government, Mr Shah said, honest taxpayers, a majority of whom belonged to the middle class, felt they were valued following crackdowns against black money and corruption through various measures, including demonetisation and the benami law.

Opposition parties had sharpened their criticism of the government’s claims about demonetisation after the RBI said over 99 per cent old notes were deposited in banks but the BJP insisted it had increased transparency and expanded the formal economy.

Targeting the Modi’s critics, he said the prime minister had ruffled several feathers by his action against the corrupt and status quo- “after all, years of privilege of a select few are now over and the poor are now getting their due”.

PTI

Amreli has played a huge role in Indian freedom struggle, says Modi

“In 2022, it will be 75 years of Indian independence. Amreli has played a huge role in the freedom struggle of India,” said Narendra Modi in Amreli, Gujarat, reported  The Indian Express .

Visuals of Narendra Modi inaugurating Amar Dairy plants in Amreli, Gujarat

Narendra Modi addressing the rally in Amreli on Sunday evening

Image courtesy: PTI

Narendra Modi inaugurating the APMC market yard earlier in Amreli

Visuals of Narendra Modi as he arrived at Amreli, Gujarat

Modi says BJP-led Centre is pro-farmer

Narendra Modi encourages farmers to explore opportunities in timber

Formulating new policies to urge people to join Navy

“We are formulating policies to encourage people to join Navy and serve the country,” Modi said addressing the rally in Amreli, reported  The Indian Express .

E-Nam Yojana giving farmers better market access, says Narendra Modi 

Blue Revolution, Sweet Revolution have potential to change lives

Modi bats for a ‘sweet revolution’ with honey

Narendra Modi said that along with White Revolution and Gujarat’s dairy network, farmers must be encouraged to produce honey calling for a “madhu kranti” (Sweet Revolution).

Modi says as chief minister, he heralded advent of dairies in Gujarat

Positive changes in cooperative sector, says Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi begins addressing gathering in Amreli

Narendra Modi inaugurates Amar Dairy plant, College of Diary Science in Amreli

‘Never indulged in politicking over Narmada dam,’ said Modi earlier 

Narendra Modi said he had never indulged into politicking over the Narmada dam since it satiates the thirst of “lakhs of mothers, who used to trek kilometres, tribals who had to migrate far away, jawans at the borders in parched regions, mute cattle who had strut hundreds of kilometers for water and poor farmers”.

IANS

Modi’s schedule in Amreli

Narendra Modi will be inaugurating Amar Dairy plants and laying the foundation stone for a honey production centre, apart from the ongoing address at the Sahukar Sammelan in Amreli, reported  The Indian Express .

Narendra Modi about to address a Sahakar Sammelan in Amreli

Modi expects Sardar Sarovar dam to boost tourism in region

Modi said that in addition to helping ease the water crisis in the region, the dam is also expected to boost tourism. “With water sports and adventure sports, we will make this spot a recreational hub which will not only help the local community with employment, but will also attract tourists from across the country and outside,” he said.

Modi inaugurates APMC yard in Amreli

Narendra Modi inaugurated a new APMC market yard in Amreli, according to  India Today .

Narendra Modi condoles IAF Marshal Arjan Singh’s demise

“He was a brave soldier of our country. He was a hero of the 1965 war,” Modi said in Gujarat’s Kevadia, where he dedicated the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the nation," said Modi.

“Even at the age of 98, he would be dressed in uniform. He would come on a wheelchair but whenever he would see me, he would stand,” he added.

“I requested him not to stand but he was a soldier, he never forgot his discipline,” Modi said.

Modi said that the Marshal’s spirit was the same when he met him on Saturday at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital where he was admitted following a cardiac arrest.

“We have lost a brave soldier. I pay my tributes to him. The nation will always remember his bravery and generations to come will be inspired by him,” he added.

IANS

Sardar Sarovar will help tourism too, says Modi

Narendra Modi said that in addition to helping ease the water crisis in the region, the dam is also expected to boost tourism. “With water sports and adventure sports, we will make this spot a recreational hub which will not only help the local community with employment, but will also attract tourists from across the country and outside,” he said.

Narendra Modi says no other project has faced so many hurdles

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river, saying no other project in the world has faced so many hurdles as this “engineering miracle” which many people had “conspired to stop”.

“No other project in the world has faced such hurdles as the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river. But we were determined to complete the project,” Modi said.

Vadodara-Dabhoi road jammed

The Indian Express is reporting that the Vadodara-Dabhoi road was jammed with GSRTC buses and vehicles that were departing from Narendra Modi’s rally.

After Dabhoi, Modi to visit Amreli

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Amreli in Saurashtra where he will attend a host of programmes and address a public gathering.

News18

Sardar Sarovar dam second largest dam in world

It is the second largest dam after the Grand Coulee Dam in the United States.

Western India lacks water; working to overcome these shortages: Modi

BJP leaders describe dam as ‘Gujarat’s lifeline’ 

The dam on the river Narmada has been described as ‘Gujarat’s lifeline’ by the BJP leaders, as it aims to provide drinking water to 131 urban centres and 9,633 villages (53 per cent of total 18,144 villages of Gujarat) and irrigation facilities for 18.54 hectares of land covering 3,112 villages under 73 talukas in 15 districts.

PTI

Amit Shah compares Modi to Sardar Patel, BR Amberdkar

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday bracketed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Sardar Patel and BR Ambedkar and said Modi had started India’s economic integration after Patel and Ambedkar respectively achieved the country’s territorial and social unification.

PTI

Modi dedicates dam to country on his birthday

He said he was delighted to dedicate the dam to the nation on his birthday and thanked the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis and Rajasthan’s Vasundhara Raje Scindia.

PTI

Modi says project will help take water from dam to India-Pakistan border in Gujarat

Noting that shortage of water was a major factor in slowing the pace of development, Modi said the project will also help take water from the dam to the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat to fulfil the water needs of BSF soldiers, besides benefitting states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

PTI

Modi calls Sardar Sarovar dam an ’engineering marvel’

Modi said the construction of the dam was an engineering marvel and every engineering student should study it.

PTI

Narendra Modi visits construction site of statue dedicated to Sardar Patel

Modi pays tribute to tribal freedom fighters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the National Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum during an event. 

Medha Patkar calls development ‘unfortunate’ takes on BJP

Patkar has alleged that the affected families have not been rehabilitated or paid compensation despite the Supreme Court order. Describing the development as “unfortunate”, she has demanded that water supply in the dam be stopped till the rehabilitation was completed. 

Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Patkar said the lives of thousands of families in Madhya Pradesh have been put at stake for electoral gains in the coming Gujarat assembly polls.

IANS

World Bank refused to provide loan, says PM

“The World Bank refused to give loan for the project raising environmental concerns, but we completed it on our own,” Modi told the gathering at Dabhoi. 

PTI

Modi also visited the Statue of Unity site

Patkar’s ‘Jal Satyagraha’ for Narmada families enters third day
 

The “Jal Satyagraha” protest led by Narmada Bachao Aandolan founder Medha Patkar, demanding rehabilitation of the 40,000 families affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam, entered the third day on Sunday.

With the water level of the dam steadily rising, it is speculated that one town and 192 villages in the region will be submerged under water. Around 40,000 families in the affected villages would have to leave their homes as the danger escalates.

IANS

Modi hits out at his opponents​

A massive misinformation campaign was launched against the Sardar Sarovar Dam project, which is an engineering miracle, says Narendra Modi.

PTI

Modi invokes Sardar Patel, Ambedkar during speech

Modi tweets image of Narmada Sarovar Dam

Modi’s dig at detractors?

“No other project in the world has faced such hurdles as the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada,” Narendra Modi told the gathering.

Sardar Sarovar a symbol of new India

“Sardar Sarovar Dam will become a symbol of India’s new and emerging power,” PTI quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as telling the rally.

The controversies surrounding the dam

It took 56 years to finally complete its construction due to court cases and protests by the affected villagers. The project was mired in many controversies and faced impediments from pro and anti-dam activists, till finally the Supreme Court gave the nod for its construction in 2000.

PTI

The 54-year-old wait for the dam

The foundation stone of the dam, which could prove to be a boon for the people of the state’s perennially-parched areas like Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat and even few districts of Rajasthan, was laid on 5 April, 1961 by country’s first prime minister, Jawharlal Nehru.

PTI

BJP bigwigs grace inauguration

Before dedicating the dam to India, the prime minister performed a puja at the site in the Narmada district. Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

PTI

Sardar Sarovar Dam finally inaugurated by Modi

Nearly 56 years after its foundation was laid, the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which was mired in controversies and faced stiff opposition from affected villagers, became a reality on Sunday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicating it to the nation.

PTI

17 September 2017 updates begin