Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) is a project launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with objective of filling 115 major dams by diverting floodwaters overflowing from the Sardar Sarovar Dam across the Narmada river to the drought areas in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state of India.
The project acts as a 'linking' project where the water will be filled in irrigation dams that are already equipped with canal network. The key features include:
The Saurashtra (region) of Gujarat which includes 11 districts that face drought-like situations often and has been reeling under severe water scarcity due to scanty rainfall. Sardar Sarovar Dam has 4.75 million acre-feet (5.86 km3) storage capacity which is further distributed to states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. A lot of floodwaters still overflow the dam especially in the monsoon season and end up going to the sea route. Gujarat's share is around 3 million acre-feet (3.7 km3) MAFT in that floodwater. With the new scheme, the water will be distributed to all the big reservoirs. [2]
It acts as a link project and aims to fill irrigation dams which includes canal networks to channelise water to the farmland. It will also have pipe canals instead of open canals and this makes the project unique because pipelines will be underground under private land while pumping stations will be built on government land. The project also has a potential to create about 8,800 jobs each year. [3]
The government has been making budgetary allocations for the project for the past three years, has set aside ₹1,500 crore (US$190 million) for 2016–17, and taken a ₹2,112 crore (US$260 million) loan from NABARD in name of Gujarat Government for irrigation projects. The project is estimated to allow irrigation over an area of around 59,000 hectares with the pumping motors that may consume 84,000 kVA at full load. [4] RIDF fund of ₹860.09 crore (US$110 million) has been allocated till 2016 for construction of pumping stations, managing valves and putting pipelines. [5] [6]
According to some officials, the costs involved in managing the pumping of water through electric motors will make it an expensive project against other projects with open canals though it saves the overhead of the government to acquire land for making of canals. [7]
The Narmada River, also called the Reva and previously also known as Narbada or anglicised as Nerbudda, is the 5th longest river and overall longest west-flowing river in India. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This river flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in India. It is also known as the "Life Line of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat" due to its huge contribution to the two states in many ways. The Narmada River rises from the Amarkantak Plateau in Anuppur district Madhya Pradesh. It forms the traditional boundary between North India and South India and flows westwards over a length of 1,312 km (815.2 mi) before draining through the Gulf of Khambhat into the Arabian Sea, 30 km (18.6 mi) west of Bharuch city of Gujarat.
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