Drought relief steps helped Gujarat, CM tells Modi

 Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Monday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that her government’s measures have helped the state achieve 95% farm production despite two successive drought years.

Anandiben was summoned by Modi for a review of drought-affected regions in Gujarat, the state he ruled from 2001 to 2014, when he became the prime minister.

Of the 33 districts of Gujarat, six — Jamnagar, Kutch, Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, and Banaskantha — are drought affected, the chief minister said, adding that the state government has already rolled out relief measures.

She said only 568 tankers have been pressed into service for water distribution in remote areas as the water grid put in place in the state had taken care of the needs of the large populace.

Modi asked Patel to take steps to completely eliminate the need of tankers to supply water.
In a presentation made during the meeting, she said 1.68 lakh check dams, 2.74 lakh farm ponds, 1.25 lakh Bori Bandhs have been created with a storage capacity of 42.3 billion cubic feet water.

Piped water supply was being provided to 77% of households in the state, the chief minister said.