Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, inaugurated as many as 17 new projects including new tourist attractions near the Statue of Unity at Kevadiya in Narmada district on Friday. Some of the major attractions inaugurated by Modi were Arogya Van, Ekta Mall, Children Nutrition Park, Sardar Patel Zoological Park or Jungle Safari, and a boat ride. He also laid the foundation stone for four projects. Modi first inaugurated Arogya Van (`health forest’), spread over 17 acres with a wide range of medicinal plants.
The sprawling garden, which boasts of five lakh plants of 380 species, also highlights the importance of Yoga, Ayurveda and meditation, an official release said. The prime minister then inaugurated Ekta Mall, a unique store near the Statue of Unity where tourists can buy handloom and handicraft products from various states. The two-storey air-conditioned complex is spread over 35,000 square feet and houses 20 emporia. Modi, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, visited several emporia. The PM then inaugurated `Ekta Cruise’, a ferry boat service which would cover the distance of 6 km from Shrestha Bharat Bhavan to the Statue of Unity within 40 minutes. The boat can carry 200 persons. The prime minister also enjoyed a ride after the inauguration. Other projects inaugurated by the PM included a navigation channel in Narmada river to facilitate boating, Garudeshwar weir downstream on the river, a new bridge across the river near Gora village, a bus bay terminus, home-stay facility for tourists and eco-tourism project near Khalwani village.
