Did Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel inaugurate the ‘Matrushri Heeraba Sarovar’ on PM Modi’s birthday?

Siddhpur (Gujarat), Sep 17 (NationPress) - The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, officially opened the Matrushri Heeraba Sarovar, a newly constructed reservoir located at Matrugaya Tirth in Siddhpur. This reservoir is dedicated to the late Heeraba Modi, the mother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, coinciding with the PM's milestone 75th birthday.

This initiative was developed through the efforts of the state’s Narmada, Water Resources, Water Supply, and Kalpasar Department, with contributions from the Dholaakia Foundation’s Fuliba Trust as part of the Saraswati River rejuvenation program.

During the inauguration, CM Patel expressed that the reservoir stands as a sincere tribute to Heeraba, who played a pivotal role in instilling values of resilience and dedication to the nation in her son. He remarked, “Observing his mother’s struggle for water during his childhood motivated Narendra Modi, as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, to eradicate water scarcity in North Gujarat and the entire state.”

He further noted that PM Modi has turned water into a “touchstone of development” by integrating community efforts with water resources via check dams, river rejuvenation, and irrigation projects, ensuring the availability of drinking and irrigation water throughout the state. The new reservoir is expected to aid over 150 hectares of farmland with irrigation, recharge more than 20 wells, and mitigate erosion in low-lying areas near the Madhupawadiya check dam. Additionally, it will hold over 450 lakh cubic feet of water, improving groundwater levels in the area.

Industry Minister Balvantsinh Rajput and Water Resources Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya were present, highlighting the dedication of the reservoir on PM Modi’s birthday as a significant and historic event. Rajput reminisced about the Saraswati-Sabarmati-Narmada river confluence project initiated by then-CM Modi in 2005, describing it as a “Bhagirath-like” effort that transformed the water landscape of North Gujarat.

Water Supply Minister Bavaliya noted that once drought-stricken, Gujarat has now become a national example in water management, owing to initiatives such as drip irrigation, efficient utilization of Narmada waters, canal projects, farm ponds, and desilting efforts under PM Modi’s guidance. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Tourism Minister Mulubhai Bera, MP Bharat Singh Dabhi, MLA Lavingji Thakor, senior officials, trustees, and a large gathering of residents from Siddhpur and neighboring villages.