Gujarat: Modi's helicopter travel to SAUNI project venue aborted
As monsoon has been active over Jamnagar for the past few days, the plan to travel by helicopter was dropped.
Jamnagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday travelled by road to Aji-3 dam to inaugurate the SAUNI project after landing at the airport in Jamnagar, instead of taking a helicopter ride owing to bad weather conditions.
As monsoon has been active over Jamnagar for the past few days, the plan to travel by helicopter was dropped.
"Due to bad weather, the Prime Minister is coming by road to the venue instead of a helicopter," BJP Saurashtra region spokesperson Raju Dhruv told PTI.
"Our PM was supposed to reach Aaji-3 dam through helicopter. However, due to safety reasons in the wake of bad weather and cloudy atmosphere, PM has been taken to the venue by road in a car," said an official of Jamnagar police control room.
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Ahead of his arrival at Jamnagar, Modi tweeted, "Looking forward to being in Gujarat today for the launch of SAUNI Yojna. This scheme will truly benefit the people of Gujarat."
Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation (SAUNI) scheme is an ambitious scheme of the Gujarat government to fill up 115 dams of parched Saurashtra region with excess flood water of Sardar Sarovar dam across the Narmada river through a network of canal and pipelines.
Modi was in Jamnagar to inaugurate the first phase of the scheme after construction of 57 kms pipeline, which will fill up 10 dams of three districts of Saurashtra region.
Saurashtra region faces drought like situation almost every three years.
After the inauguration, Modi will address a gathering of farmers at Sanosara village which is near the Aji-3 dam site.