PM to Lay Foundation Stones of Several Development Projects in Kutch on Tuesday

PTI, Dec 13, 2020, 8:11 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dhordo in Gujarat’s Kutch on Tuesday to lay the foundation stones of several development projects in the state. The projects include a desalination plant, a hybrid renewable energy park and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday.

Modi will also undertake a visit to the White Rann and later, witness a cultural programme. Harnessing its vast coastline, Gujarat is taking a significant step towards transforming seawater to drinking water with the upcoming desalination plant at Mandvi in Kutch, the PMO said, adding that with a 10 crore litre per day (100 MLD) capacity, the plant will strengthen Gujarat’s water security by complementing the Narmada Grid, the Sauni network and the treated wastewater infrastructure.

It will be an important milestone for sustainable and affordable water resource harvesting in the country, it said, noting that nearly eight lakh people across the regions of Mundra, Lakhpat, Abdasa and Nakhatrana talukas will receive desalinated water from the plant, which will also help share the surplus to the upstream districts of Bhachau, Rapar and Gandhidham. It is one of the five upcoming desalination plants in Gujarat besides those at Dahej (100 MLD), Dwarka (70 MLD), Ghogha Bhavnagar (70 MLD) and Gir Somnath (30 MLD).

The hybrid renewable energy park near Vighakot village in Kutch will be the country’s largest such park and will lead to the generation of renewable energy to the tune of 30 GW, the PMO said. Spread over 72,600 hectares of land, the park will have a dedicated hybrid park zone for wind and solar energy storage as well as an exclusive zone for wind park activities.

The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of a fully automated milk processing and packing plant at the Sarhad Dairy Anjar in Kutch. The plant will cost Rs 121 crore and have the capacity to process two lakh litres of milk per day, the statement said.