AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar, a water conservation project at Dudhala village in Lathi taluka of Amreli district, and spoke about Gujarat’s transformation from drought to better water availability.
Built by the Dholakiya Foundation, run by Padma Shri awardee Savji Dholakia, the reservoir was constructed at a cost of over Rs 4 crore. It covers 80,000 square feet and can store nearly 23 crore litres of water.
“If we save every drop of rainwater, neither this region nor the country will have to face famine. Water conservation is the strongest shield against drought,” Shah said.
Recalling the drought years of 1985-87, Shah said Gujarat had faced severe hardship when the Congress was in power. “We remember those years when Gujarat was hit by drought and people struggled for even their daily needs,” he said.
Shah recalled that Narendra Modi was then the organisation secretary and had led a ‘Nyay Yatra’. “We were young workers then. In the scorching heat, we went from house to house, collecting even 250 grams of ‘Sukhdi’ and old slippers so that they could be sold to support relief efforts,” he said.
He also recalled an incident in Rajkot, where a shallow pit was being dug to install a tap. “People told me there was no water left even at the required groundwater level. That was the condition of Gujarat then,” Shah said.
Shah said Gujarat’s water situation began changing after Modi became chief minister in 2001. “Saurashtra and North Gujarat, which had long battled water scarcity, started receiving water, and drought gradually became a part of Gujarat’s past,” he said.
“Today, we are in 2026. There may have been concerns over the impact of El Niño, and some villages may have received less rainfall, but Gujarat has not witnessed a situation where people were forced to leave their villages with their livestock in search of water,” Shah said.
On the Narmada project, Shah said its foundation stone was laid by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and its gates were opened only after Modi became prime minister. “After that, Narmada water reached across Saurashtra and into the Kutch region,” he said.
He also referred to the Jal Shakti Ministry, saying irrigation capacity of dams across the country increased by 160 per cent without additional expenditure on entirely new infrastructure.
Shah also spoke about religious conversion in tribal areas of South Gujarat, recalling efforts to establish temples and schools in villages. He said the institutions would help children progress while being connected to Sanatan traditions.
Changing water situation
Shah said Gujarat’s water situation began changing after Modi became chief minister in 2001. “Saurashtra and North Gujarat, which had long battled water scarcity, started receiving water, and drought became a part of Gujarat’s past,” he said.