Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches projects related to SAUNI Yojana at Botad

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 April 2017 dedicated Phase 1 (Link 2) of the Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana to the nation.

PM Modi also laid the Foundation Stone of Phase 2 (Link 2) of the SAUNI Yojana.

The design of Phase 2 is to pump Narmada water in 17 dams spread across Botad, Bhavnagar and Amreli districts of Gujarat. This is considered as a second milestone of the Rs 12000 crore projects to pump Narmada water to the arid Saurashtra region.

SAUNI Yojana’s Link 1 canal will take water to 30 dams in Jamnagar and Devbhoomi Dwarka districts. In August 2016, PM Modi had dedicated Phase-I of the Link-I canal to the nation.

About SAUNI Project

• The Saurashtra-Narmada Avataran Irrigation Yojana has been launched to divert one one million acre feet (MAFT) excess over flowing flood water of Narmada allocated to Saurashtra Region.

• The excess over flowing flood water of Narmada will be distributed to 115 reservoirs of eleven districts of Saurashtra through total 1126 km long four link pipelines benefitting 10.22 lakh acres of land.

• The project aims to utilize the floodwater, which otherwise overflows the Narmada dam during monsoon and drains into the sea.

• The four link pipelines are:

Link 1: It will run from Machhu-II dam of Morbi district to Sani Dam of Jamanagar District. It will have a carrying capacity of 1200 cusecs. 30 reservoirs of Rajkot, Morbi, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamanagar districts will be filled and 202100 acre area will be benefitted.

Link 2: It will run from Limbdi Bhogavo-II Dam of Surendranagar district to Raidi Dam of Amreli district. It will have a carrying capacity of 1050 cusecs. 17 reservoirs of Bhavnagar, Botad and Amreli Districts and area of 274700 acres will be benefitted.

Link 3: It will run from Dholidhaja Dam of Surendranagar District to Venu-I Dam of Rajkot District. It will have a carrying capacity of 1200 cusecs. 28 reservoirs of Rajkot, Jamanagar, Dev bhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Morbi and Surendranagar Districts and 198067 acre area will be benefitted.

Link 4: It will run from Limbdi Bhogavo-II Dam of Surendranagar district to Hiran-II Irrigation scheme of Junagadh. It will have a carrying capacity of 1200 cusecs. 40 reservoirs of Rajkot, Surendranagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Botad Districts and area of 347722 acre will be benefitted.