Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, 21 July virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹815 crore across Gandhinagar and Sabarkantha districts of Gujarat, covering healthcare infrastructure, transport connectivity, water conservation, and public amenities. The programme spanned constituencies in Mansa and Prantij, with the bulk of the investment directed at reviving the Sabarmati River corridor.

Key Projects Inaugurated

The centrepiece of Tuesday's event was the inauguration of the ₹89 crore Aluva–Sadra bridge over the Sabarmati River, which is expected to improve connectivity for residents, students, and pilgrims visiting the Jakshini Mata Temple, while also supporting local tourism. A new Community Health Centre at Charada was also inaugurated, equipped with 24-hour dialysis services, an operation theatre, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and other advanced medical facilities — services that will reportedly be accessible to more than one lakh people in the surrounding area.

Shah also inaugurated a community hall at Raniyapur in Mansa, an elevated service reservoir (ESR) water tank at Alkapuri, and the new Sanskar Bhavan Trust building at Bapupura village, the latter named after Padma Shri and Jnanpith Award recipient Raghuveer Chaudhari. Paying tribute to the noted author, Shah said: 'The noted author, despite emerging from a family of farmers and livestock rearers, remained humble throughout his life. The Sanskar Bhavan named after Chaudhari would become a source of inspiration for future generations.'

Sabarmati Barrages: A ₹716 Crore Water Push

The single largest component of the package was the laying of foundation stones for two new barrages on the Sabarmati River — the ₹413.63 crore Hirak barrage and the ₹302.51 crore Rakhiyal barrage — together accounting for an outlay of ₹716.14 crore. According to Water Resources Minister Ishwarsinh Patel, the barrages are part of a broader effort to rejuvenate the Sabarmati between the Dharoi Dam and the Gulf of Khambhat.

Shah said the two barrages would store river water for up to eight months, providing a long-term solution to irrigation and drinking water needs in areas including Charada, Mansa, and Ridrol. The projects are also expected to raise groundwater levels by five to ten feet, benefiting farmers and livestock rearers, and supporting tourism and wildlife conservation in the region.

What the Government Said

Addressing the gathering virtually, Shah said the development momentum initiated in Gujarat under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had continued under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. He noted that development works worth around ₹817 crore had been dedicated to the public across the Mansa and Prantij constituencies.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said Gujarat had remained at the forefront of implementing Modi's vision of a 'developed India', recording significant progress over the past 12 years in infrastructure, rural development, education, healthcare, and connectivity. 'Development is not limited to brick-and-mortar structures, but is a powerful medium for bringing convenience, security and prosperity into people's lives,' Patel said.

Minister of State for Health Praful Pansheriya said new primary and community health centres had been constructed at a cost of ₹1.50 crore, while free cochlear implant surgeries — costing between ₹8 lakh and ₹10 lakh per procedure — were now available for hearing and speech-impaired children through Civil Hospitals. He added that a cleanliness drive across more than 12,000 hospitals had brought 1,800 rooms back into active patient use.

Healthcare and Agricultural Schemes Highlighted

An advanced Civil Hospital is also reportedly under construction in the Mansa region to reduce the need for residents to travel to Gandhinagar for treatment, intended to function in coordination with nearby Community Health Centres. Pansheriya noted that under the SAUNI Yojana and the world's largest underground pipeline network, water supply had been extended to farmers and livestock rearers in Saurashtra and Kutch. He added that farmers who once borrowed at interest rates of 18 per cent could now access loans of up to ₹3 lakh at zero per cent interest, while electricity connections previously costing ₹1.77 lakh were being provided for ₹100 and ₹1,350 in tribal areas.

Chief Minister Patel also highlighted a large-scale tree plantation campaign in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, noting that around 1.25 crore trees had recently been planted, with lakhs more planted within a single hour using the Miyawaki method.

What Comes Next

With the Hirak and Rakhiyal barrages now at the foundation stage, implementation timelines and tendering processes will be closely watched. The broader Sabarmati rejuvenation plan, if executed on schedule, could significantly alter water availability patterns across North Gujarat — a region that has historically faced acute groundwater stress.