PM Narendra Modi, Bavaku Undhad

Former BJP minister Bavaku Undhad has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the inclusion of Amreli district in the Kalpasar Project.

He emphasised that while some districts and talukas of the Saurashtra region have benefited from Narmada-based irrigation schemes, areas such as Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Botad have been left out.

In the letter to the PM, Undhad states that farmers in these regions rely heavily on irrigation water from borewells and wells, making the Kalpasar Project essential for boosting agricultural activities. He highlighted that the project’s feasibility and pre-feasibility reports, along with 44 other necessary reports, were completed by 2022, yet the implementation has been delayed. This delay, Undhad argued, is hindering the region’s growth.

The Kalpasar Project, once implemented, would significantly benefit the agricultural landscape of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Rajkot districts.

Undhad pointed out that Amreli, being a primarily agrarian district, has witnessed large-scale migration. The successful execution of the project would reverse this trend and ensure that both Amreli and the broader Saurashtra region thrive agriculturally and economically.

He further stated that it would also shorten travel routes between southern and central Gujarat, curbing the ongoing migration from Saurashtra.

This migration, he noted, includes educated individuals and professionals moving to cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Surat, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, as well as abroad,  to Canada and the US. Farmers, artisans, and labourers have also been migrating in large numbers due to lack of opportunities in the region.

“The Kalpasar Project is the only way to save Saurashtra,” Undhad declared, stressing the need for immediate implementation. He also emphasised the broader benefits, such as reducing travel time and costs for the state and preserving environmental resources like diesel, petrol, and gas.

Undhad called on the central government to declare the project as a national initiative, with an 80:20 funding ratio, where 80% of the project cost would be covered by the central government and 20% by the state government.

Finally, the former minister cited a survey predicting a potential 15% decline in agricultural productivity due to pollution. He stressed that the project is crucial for safeguarding the region’s future generations and should be prioritised over other development initiatives, especially given India’s reliance on imports for certain food products like pulses and oil.