Narmada (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 67 today, began the day by inaugurating the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam in Kevadia colony in Narmada district.

As part of the programme, he performed Narmada aarti and offer prayers at the dam site. The event was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, BJP National President Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and several religious and spiritual heads from Gujarat.

The foundation stone for the Sardar Sarovar Project was laid by country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 5th April, 1961.

Originally commissioned in 2006, the Sardar Sarovar Dam’s height was recently raised to 138.68 metres. The increased height would enable the Sardar Sarovar Dam to store 4.73 million acre feet (MAF) of water.

Later in the day, Modi will visit Sadhu Bet to review the progress of the ‘Statue of Unity.’ A 182-metre tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Union Home Minister, is being built on the island.

PM Modi will also attend the closing ceremony of ‘Narmada Mahotsav’ and address a gathering at Dabhoi. More than 1.5 lakh people are expected to attend the closing ceremony. He will lay the foundation stone for National Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum during the event.

Modi will then visit Amreli in Saurashtra where he will attend a host of programmes and address a public gathering.