AHMEDABAD: The Government of Gujarat, while answering a question posed by Bharatji Thakor, Becharaji Congress MLA in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, has said that the government has been successful in inter-linking several of its rivers for facilitating irrigation. According to the state government, water from the Narmada River alone was bifurcated into 29 canals across the state while water from Mahi, Sabarmati and Tapi rivers was divided to form additional 12 canals flowing through the state for ‘irrigation purposes.’
While replying to the question, the government stated that there are total of 185 rivers flow through Gujarat out of which, 29 canals were fed with Narmada waters. Out of these 29 canals, 10 belonged to the Saurashtra region which received water through the link canals of the SAUNI (Saurashtra-Narmada Avartaran Irrigation) Yojana. These rivers were Macchu, Demi, Bangavadi, Aji, Und, Bhogvo, Vansal, Goma, Ankadiya and Hiren. The other rivers that were fed with Narmada waters are Khari, Rupen, Pushpavati, Saraswati, Banas, Jhiliya, Chikariyo, Dev, Heran, Kun, Saudak, Vatrak, Mehor, Meshwo, Sakra, Falku and Brahmani among others. The state government also stated that between 2015-16 and September 2018, it had spent Rs 175.11 crore in transferring water through various link canals built under the Yojana.