India’s Prime Minister Modi inaugurates world’s second biggest dam – on his own birthday
The foundation stone for the dam was laid by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru 56 years ago, and its construction began in 1987
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s biggest dam on Sunday, ignoring warnings from environment groups that hundreds of thousands of people will lose their livelihoods.
The controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in the country’s western state of Gujarat that will provide power and water to three big states was dedicated to the people of India by Narendra Modi.
The inauguration ceremony happened on the same day as Modi’ s birthday. He turned 68.
The project has been beset by controversies since the laying of the foundation stone by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961. The construction of the project began in 1987.
The dam is the second biggest dam in the world after the Grand Coulee Dam in the United States.
Ahead of the inauguration Modi said in a tweet: “This project will benefit lakhs of farmers and help fulfil people’s aspirations.”