Patan : Clean water provided by government to outlying areas, said CM Vijay Rupani in Patan. Giving a gift of Rs 223 crores of development works in Patan district, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that development is not possible without water. For this purpose, pure drinking water has been delivered to the people of remote areas by raising water sources. He added that the government has successfully implemented comprehensive water supply and irrigation schemes to make the water problem in the state a thing of the past. To make the motto of ‘Har Haath Ko Kaam, Har Khet Ko Pani’ … meaningful, the scope of irrigation schemes has been increased through big dems like Narmada, Ukai, Kadana, Panam, Dharoi, Dantiwada as well as 1 lakh km in the state. The government has set up a long pipeline distribution network to deliver clean water to the hinterland of the state, said Vijay Rupani. Expressing grief that the people of Gujarat were starving without water due to non-approval of Narmada Dam during the previous Congress government, the Chief Minister added that the then Chief Minister and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi was concerned about Gujarat’s water problem and allowed and sanctioned doors for the Narmada Dam. Millions of cusecs of Narmada salt water have stopped flowing into the sea and new doors of development have opened. The Chief Minister added that Gujarat has set up a power grid as well as eradicated darkness from the villages through Jyotigram scheme. Expressing happiness that Gujarat is the first state in the country to set up a gas grid, he said that now Gujarat has adopted a prominent direction of water grid network.
Stating that this holy land is connected with Siddharaj Jaysingh and Hemchandracharya Muni, the Chief Minister said that the Ranki Vaav constructed during the reign of Siddharaj Jaysingh is a benign example of proper planning of water supply. After the establishment of Gujarat for 40-42 years, the Congress authorities ignored the water problem of Gujarat. He added that Gujarat state was known as a scarcity-hit area during that government’s rule and people had to fight for two buckets of water due to lack of proper water management at that time. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, “Our elders know that in the past water had to be taken from the pits of the land which at that time also caused high incidence of kidney stones, elephantiasis and other water borne diseases.” Due to lack of water people migrated with their livestock. Such was the dire situation. He said that circumambulation of Narmada is considered sacred in our scriptures. He said that today in Gujarat, the water of Narmada has reached 10 thousand villages and more than 150 cities and Narmada water is available at home. On this occasion, Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, Labor and Employment Minister Dilip Kumar Thakor, MP Bharatsinh Dabhi, GIDC. Chairman Balwant Singh Rajput, former Home Minister Rajni Patel, BJP State General Secretary KC Patel, Collector Supreet Singh Gulati, District Development Officer D.K.Parekh, Director of Scheduled Caste Welfare N.K. Ninama and other office bearers were present.
