Narendra Modi reviews Gujarat water supply situation, urges focus on Kutch

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reviewed the ground situation of drinking water supply in the scarcity-hit areas of the state in peak summer, a day after polling for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections ended.

The main agenda for the meeting was for ensuring adequate water supply to scarcity-hit areas, particularly the Saurashtra and Kutch regions, through Narmada canals and other resources, including tankers.

Modi asked officials to take all necessary steps to ensure adequate supply. He also suggested that water distribution across the state be centrally monitored from the Sachivalaya, according to a release here.

He has given powers to all district collectors to enable them to ensure adequate water supply in their districts and asked water resources department to collect information on a daily basis as to the quantity of water distributed, the release added.

As an aid to efforts to install tube wells, Modi also stressed on the need to use satellite mapping to find out if groundwater is available in Kutch region.

At present, 130 crore litres of water is supplied to 5,588 villages in the state through canals of the Narmada water grid, while another 50 crore litres is provided through dams.

The scarcity-hit Kutch region remained the focal point of Modi's meeting.

The state administration claimed to have deployed 30 tankers to provide water to far-flung villages of Abdasa, Rapar, Lakhpat and Nakhatrana talukas of Kutch.

Modi also directed his ministers to ensure adequate supply of cattle feed in the region.

The meeting was attended by state finance minister Nitin Patel, urban development minister Anandiben Patel, rural development minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, water resources minister Babu Bokhiria, energy minister Saurabh Patel and principal secretary Dr Varesh Sinha, among others.