Gujarat CM  Reviews Rs.1,100 Cr Dharoi Tourism Project in North Gujarat

Gandhinagar, Gujarat – Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the Dharoi Dam region in North Gujarat to inspect the progress of multiple tourism projects being developed as a world-class sustainable tourism and pilgrimage destination, and provided necessary guidance for their further advancement.

The Dharoi region development project is being carried out in three phases with an estimated investment of ₹1,100 crore. Centred around spiritual, adventure, eco, and recreational activities, the initiative is set to enhance tourism, generate local employment, and advance the ‘Vocal for Local’ vision.

Dharoi, like other prominent tourist destinations in Gujarat, will be developed as an ‘Iconic Place’. Additionally,  the state government is actively pursuing a long-term vision to establish a comprehensive tourism circuit by linking major tourist and pilgrimage sites of North Gujarat, including Polo Forest, Taranga, Vadnagar, and Ambaji.

Following the inflow of fresh water into the state’s reservoirs, Dharoi Dam has recorded 70.80% of its water capacity this year. To review the situation, the Chief Minister visited the Dharoi Dam site and also chaired a high-level meeting on dam safety during the inspection.

Gujarat has a total of 1,124 reservoirs, including the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam, comprising 22 major, 96 medium, and 1,006 minor dams. In line with the National Dam Safety Authority’s guidelines, pre-monsoon inspection of 523 dams with a storage capacity exceeding 1 MCM was completed in May 2024, and all were declared safe and secure during the dam safety review meeting. Similarly, inspections of 600 dams with a capacity below 1 MCM were also completed, confirming that all are in a safe condition.

During the meeting, a comprehensive presentation was given highlighting the water levels in reservoirs across the state: over  25 reservoirs are filled to 100% or above, 56 reservoirs have storage between 70% and 100%, 43 reservoirs between 50% and 70%, 42 reservoirs between 25% and 50%, and 40 reservoirs are currently holding less than 25% of their capacity.

During the safety review of the state’s largest reservoir, the Sardar Sarovar Dam, it was stated  that water level and rainfall data from upstream regions are regularly shared via WhatsApp, email, and Google Sheets to maintain effective coordination among the concerned states. At present, the dam holds 4,889 million cubic meters of water.

Chief Minister  Bhupendra Patel was accompanied by Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister  M.K. Das, Advisor S.S. Rathore, Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Chairman and MD Mukesh Puri, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Avantika Singh, Tourism Secretary, Dr. Rajender Kumar, Water Resources Secretary P.C. Vyas, and Tourism Corporation MD Prabhav Joshi reviewed the ongoing progress of the Dharoi tourism development project.

During the site visit, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of enhancing green cover in and around the Dharoi reservoir and provided necessary guidance for sustainable development.