Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will inaugurate the world's second biggest dam – Sardar Sarovar Dam – described as Gujarat's lifeline by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.
The foundation stone of the dam was laid on April 5, 1961 by the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. However, it took 56 years to complete its construction.
"Tomorrow, Sardar Sarovar Dam will be dedicated to the nation. This project will benefit lakhs of farmers & help fulfil people’s aspirations," tweeted Modi.
Tomorrow, Sardar Sarovar Dam will be dedicated to the nation. This project will benefit lakhs of farmers & help fulfil people’s aspirations.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017
The inaugural event is being held on Modi's 67th birthday. The closing ceremony of the event addressed as the Narmada Mahotsav will take place in the end, to celebrate completion of the work.
Modi will also address a public meeting at Dabhoi, following the inauguration.
His visit, which has added significance as the Assembly elections are due in Gujarat by year-end, is the second in less than a week after he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad and launched the Bullet train project.
The delay in the completion of the dam was due to numerous reasons. Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan took the government to the Supreme Court over environmental and rehabilitation issues, and obtained a stay in 1996.
The court allowed resumption of work in October 2000.
The height of the dam was recently raised to 138.68 metres, which will allow maximum 'usable storage' of 4.73 million acre feet of water.
After the inauguration, Modi will travel to Sadhu Bet, an island in the Narmada river, where he will take stock of the 'Statue of Unity' project.
The 'Statue of Unity' is a 182-metre tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, dedicated to the country's first home minister.
Modi will lay foundation stone for National Tribal Freedom Fighters' Museum during the event.
Modi will then visit Amreli in Saurashtra where he will attend a host of programmes and address a public gathering.
After visiting the dam site, I will go to Sadhu Bet to take stock of the work on the ‘Statue of Unity’ project.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Congress has claimed that the project is not complete and canals of 43,000 km length were yet to be built despite the BJP ruling the state for 22 years.
(With inputs from PTI)
