Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel paid a visit to the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam at Kevadia today and reviewed the progress made in the installation of sluice gates on the dam.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a go-ahead to raise the height of the dam from 121.92 metres to 138.88 metres in June, Patel had herself laid the foundation stone at the Kevadia site on June 17 to install gates on the dam, an official press release said.
To review its progress, she visited the site today and expressed satisfaction about the pace of work, the release said.
Senior Narmada dam project officials informed her that work is on in full swing to construct 17 out of 29 piers on the dam.
The rest of the piers would be also completed soon, the release said. The CM reiterated that gates would be installed on time, as the Gujarat government is getting all support from the Centre, the release said.
The CM also reviewed the progress of the 'Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan', a part of Modi's pet 'Statue of Unity' project, where a 182-metre high statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel would be installed at Sadhu Bet island near the dam.
The CM also announced that a replica of the statue would be put up near the venue of forthcoming 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' in Gandhinagar between January 7 and January 9 next year, so that NRIs as well other dignitaries could give their valuable suggestions, the release said.
Following the visit to the dam, Patel then paid a surprise visit to a government-run school in Kevadia to check the facilities available to school children.
