Rajasthan water for Gujarat

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, DEC. 7. Rajasthan has come to the rescue of Gujarat by agreeing to release 4,000 million cubic metre of water from its Bajaj Sagar dam in 45 days.

The first flow released from the Bajaj Sagar dam on December 1 was received by Gujarat at the Kadana dam on the Mahi river in central Gujarat today.

Expressing his Government's and the people's gratitude for the ``timely help,'' the Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, said the gesture shown by the Rajasthan Government would go a long way to solve the acute shortage of drinking water in north Gujarat and the Kutch-Saurashtra region.

Mr. Patel admitted that the State would have to ``pay'' for the water being released from the Bajaj Sagar dam but declined to specify the quantum. ``We are thankful to Rajasthan for its timely help.

The money part is immaterial,'' he said but hinted that a part of the overdue from the Rajasthan Government against its share for the Narmada dam project would be written off.

But he claimed that the cost for buying water from Rajasthan would work out to be cheaper than the expenses the State would have incurred in digging deep borewells in Kaira district to supply water to the arid Kutch-Saurashtra regions.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Intruder held near Rabri Devi's house
Next     : Govt. concern over Dabhol Phase II