Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 138-metre Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river on Sunday, saying “no other project in the world has faced so many hurdles“.
Dedicating the dam to the nation on his 67th birthday, PM Modi said at Dabhoi, near the dam, that he would live and die for the dreams of the people of the country. “You know me, I can't do small things. I don't think small, don't do small things. With 1.25 billion people with me, I can't dream small.“
Remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Babasaheb Ambedkar, the prime minister said: “If they had lived even a few more years, the dam would have been completed in the 60s and 70s itself... India would have been on the path of progress much earlier. But it was our misfortune that we had to lose them.“
Recollecting the opposition to the construction of the dam, Modi said: “When the Word Bank stopped giving money, the temples of this state organised donations for the dam.“
“I have knowledge (kacha chittha) of everyone who tried to stall this project, but I will not name them as I do not want to go on that route,“ the PM said, adding: “I have always refrained from politicising the issue and wouldn't do so even now.“
Modi said the project was an engineering marvel and should be part of engineering curriculum.“The quantity of cement concrete that has been used to set up this dam is incredible. The material required to construct an eight km wide concrete road from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kandla to Kohima has gone into putting this structure.“
Earlier in the day, Modi visited his mother Hiraba at her residence on the outskirts of capital Gandhinagar and sought her blessings on the occasion of his birthday. His visit to Kevadia Colony, however, was delayed due to inclement weather as his helicopter had to land in Dabhoi instead of Kevadia Colony and the prime minister had to travel by road to reach the venue.
Later, the prime minister called upon farmers to launch `sweet revolution' and `blue revolution' by taking up honey bee farming and optimising use of waterways for transportation.
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