Gujarat govt completes SAUNI Yojana

The Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana scheme by the state government of Gujarat has successfully completed the construction of Package 8 and Package 9 of Link-3. The scheme aims to supply daytime electricity to farmers in Gujarat for agricultural and irrigation needs by channelizing excess floodwaters from the Sardar Sarovar Dam and replenish 115 major dams in drought-prone regions. The project addresses the water shortage and land acquisition challenges in the Saurashtra region by using pipelines instead of open canals. The SAUNI Yojana encompasses the development of an approximately 1300-km pipeline network

Important Points to remember:

  1. SAUNI Yojana was initiated to address the issue of water shortage in drought-prone regions of Gujarat.
  2. SAUNI Yojana uses an innovative approach by using pipelines over traditional canals, avoiding land acquisition disputes.
  3. In total, the SAUNI Yojana project aims to develop a 1300-km pipeline network.
  4. This project is beneficial in providing electricity during the day and smart water management for farmers in Gujarat.
  5. The scheme was initiated in March 2014.