Watch: PM Modi saves Doordarshan lensmen from mishap at SAUNI inauguration

On Tuesday, the alertness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation (SAUNI) project near Jamnagar, saved the lives of several cameramen and photographers, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel informed.

According to reports the Modi saw the Doordarshan cameraman standing in harm's way and alerted him to the danger as the water from Aji dam was being released.

Speaking at a function in Jamnagar after Modi inaugurated the ambitious SAUNI project, Patel said that the Prime Minister was just looking at the flow of the water at the Aji-3 dam site after pushing a button to start the release from the dam.

"He suddenly noticed that several cameramen and photographers were standing on the downstream side. The strong flow of water released a little while ago was racing towards them and could have washed them away," Patel said.

PM Modi at the inauguration of SAUNI in Gujarat. PTI

Busy taking photographs of the event, the cameramen and photographers were seemingly unaware of it. But by clapping his hands and with other gestures the Prime Minister alerted them and they escaped in time.

"If the PM had not alerted them, a big mishap could have happened," Patel said.

In the visuals from the incident, PM Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani can be seen pointing at something off the frame.

SAUNI Scheme is an ambitious scheme of the Gujarat government to fill up 115 dams of parched Saurashtra region with excess flood water of Sardar Sarovar dam across the Narmada river through a network of canal and pipelines.

Saurashtra region faces drought like situation almost every three years.

With inputs from agencies