NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam in the Narmada district of the state of Gujarat.
The dam's construction began in 1987, although the project dates back to 1961 when Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, laid down the first stone for the foundation.
The dam project has often been criticized, since it required the flooding ofvast coastal areas. Most of the residents were resettled and received compensation, but some tried to appeal the decision in court. Some of the people opposing the project insisted that not everyone had been compensated.
At the moment, the dam is almost 139 meters (456 feet) high and the reservoir can hold 5.8 billion cubic meters (204 billion cubic feet) of water. About a million farmers can use this water for agricultural activity, while drinking water will be available to 40 million people.
The power plant will generate 1,450 megawatts of electricity and the energy will be spread out among the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
