Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated on Saturday at the launch of the fifth phase of the Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan (SSJA) in Gandhinagar that the state government aimed to achieve 100% tap water coverage across the state by the end of 2022.
“We are committed to making 100 percent tap water available to every household in the state by the end of this year… Lord Mahavir taught us to use water like ghee. The need of the hour is to consume water judiciously. I request more people to join this campaign to make earth truly prosperous by adopting natural agriculture and by giving up the use of chemical fertilisers,” Patel said while addressing a gathering at Kolwada village.
Addressing a gathering at Kolwada village, Patel said that water was at the centre of development. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned Gujarat into a water surplus state from a water-deficient state… The groundwater level in the state has risen due to the various water storage schemes with check dams, Sujalam-Suflam Yojana, Narmada Canal Network, Sauni Yojana, and so on. With irrigation techniques, water has reached several farms.”
“As a result of this Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan, the groundwater level will rise, and thereby not only human beings but also animals and birds will get enough water. Saving water and electricity are a key to serving the nation and achieving the goal of being a self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) country,” Patel added.
This year, the SSJA’s fifth phase will see 13,000 projects completed in the state by May 31, 2022, with a goal of increasing water storage capacity by 15 million cubic feet.
According to government estimates, the projects will also create more than 25 lakh jobs.
From 2018 to 2021, 56,698 works have been completed under the SSJA. According to a government release, the project has so far resulted in the deepening and construction of 21,402 lakes, the construction of 1,204 new check dams, and the cleaning of 50,353 kilometres of canals.
Patel further stated that the state government is constantly working at water management, with PM Modi’s priority programme of ‘Har Ghar Jal’.
The event also saw the presence of Gandhinagar MLA Shambhuji Thakor and Gandhinagar Mayor Hitesh Makwana, who stated that inconsistent and deficient rainfall in the state has resulted in an increase in groundwater consumption.
“In Gandhinagar district, 658 works have been done in four years.The total water storage capacity of the district has increased by 617 lakh cubic feet,” Makwana said.
Other districts were also given the opportunity to participate in the project. In Dahod, MLA Ramesh Katara, the party’s whip in the Gujarat assembly, launched the SSJA, which will fund 1,344 water conservation projects in the tribal district at a cost of Rs 20 crores.