| While flagging off the Vanmahotsav late last week along with chief minister Narendra Modi, SSNL chairman P K Lahari said, "Narmada dam should not only be known as the second biggest dam of the world but should also be know for its natural beauty that surrounds the dam site." |
| They are planning to draw about 20 lakh tourist at the site by the end of this year, he added. |
| As part of the Tourism Year 2006, the state government had also organised a week long celebration with the theme 'Narmada Sarvade' to highlight Narmada river dam as a tourist spot. |
| Talking about the development projects on Narmada dam site, Lahari said, "We want to make the Narmada dam as the most favoured tourist destination having highest footfall and in order to do so, we have decided to bring about one crore tourists to visit the Narmad dam site within three years." |
| Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said, "We are now emphasising on the horizontal development of Narmada apart from generating electricity from the river." |
| Narendra Modi further said that till now, the vital issue was the vertical growth of the dam which the government has succeeded to achieve and now the horizontal growth is the need of the hour. |
| Annually, around six to seven lakhs families visit Narmada. If Narmada dam site becomes a tourist designation, it would generate employment for the Adivasis of Kevadia village. |
| Further, Modi said that the electricity generated from Narmada dam will help to address energy shortfall issue of the state. |
| "More energy will create faster rate of growth of industries," said Modi. |
| The chief minister insisted on developing Narmada dam site as tourist destination and proclaimed, "Develop Narmada to its potentiality." |
| He further said that with the inflow of tourists, infrastructure in Kevadia village will grow which will further fuel and speed up the growth of the area. |
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