'Narmada water to reach Rajasthan by June-end'

The work on the Narmada main canal is in its last phase and the water from river Narmada will reach Rajasthan by June-end.

The work on the Narmada main canal is in its last phase and the water from river Narmada will reach Rajasthan by June-end, chairman of the Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited (SSNL) PK Laheri on Tuesday said.

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"The work on 457-kilometre long main canal has entered its last phase in Banaskanta district of North Gujarat. The work is currently in full swing and the water from Narmada will reach Rajasthan by June-end," an official release quoting Laheri said in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

"Work on 357 kilometres of the canal has been finished and the work on the remaining 100-odd kilometres will be completed by June thus enabling the water to reach Rajasthan," he said.

The canal that begins at Kevadia colony (at the Narmada dam site) passes through Vadodara, Panchmahal, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Patan and Banaskanta districts before reaching Jhalore in Rajasthan.

"The work on the canal is in the last phase and construction is on in Tharad and Dhanera areas of Banaskanta district," Laheri, who had inspected the site recently with a team of officials, said.

The main canal is 240 feet wide, 25 feet deep and can carry 40,000 cusecs of water.

Of the total 38 branch-canals, construction on 22 has been completed and work on the remaining nine branch canals will be finished by March 2007, Laheri said.

The work on the remaining canals will be completed in the next financial year, he added.