Statue of Unity
The Statue of Unity is a proposed 182 metres (597 ft) monument of Sardar Patel that will be created directly facing the Narmada Dam, 3.2 km away on the river island called Sadhu Bet of Narmada river, near Bharuch in Gujarat state of India.[2]
As part of the project, a bridge connecting the statue on Sadhu island to the bank, a memorial, visitor centre buildings, a memorial garden, a hotel, a convention centre, an amusement park, research centres and institutes will also be constructed.[3] Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), a special purpose vehicle was set up by the Gujarat government for construction of the statue.
| Statue of Unity | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 21°50′16″N 73°43′8″E |
| Location | Sadhu bet, Near Sardar Sarovar Dam,Gujarat, India |
| Type | Statue |
| Material | Steel framing, reinforced cement concrete, bronze coating[1] |
| Height |
|
| Beginning date | 31 October 2013 |
| Dedicated to | Sardar Patel |
| www.statueofunity.in | |
Construction[edit]
The project was first announced on October 7, 2010.[5] The total height of the statue from its base will be 240 metre consisting base level of 58 metre and statue of 182 metre. It will be constructed with steel framing, reinforced cement concrete and bronze coating.[1]
A consortium of Turner Construction (consultant of Burj Khalifa), Michael Graves and Associates and Meinhardt Group, will supervise the project. It will take 56 months to complete the project, 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction and two months for handing over by the consortium.[3] The entire project (the statute and other buildings including the memorial, visitor centre, garden, hotel, convention centre, amusement park and research institute) would cost about Rs. 2500 crores.[6] The first phase of the project, including construction of the main statue, a bridge connecting the statue to the river bank and reconstruction of the 12 km road along the river banks is estimated to cost Rs. 2063 crores. Tender bids for the first phase are already invited as of October 2013.[7]
The monument will be built on a Public Private Partnership model, with most of the money raised by public contribution.[2] TheGovernment of Gujarat has allotted Rs 100 crore for the project in the budget for 2012-13.[6]
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will lay foundation stone of statue on 31 October 2013, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.[8][5]
The iron needed for this statue and other structures will be collected from farmers of villages all around India in a form of donation of their used farming instruments.[9] Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust set up 36 offices across India to collect this iron instruments[4] till the construction starts on January 26, 2014.[5]
Issues[edit]
Some local people have opposed land acquisition for tourism infrastructure development around the statue. They also claimed that Sadhu bet was originally called Varata Bawa Tekri, named after a local deity and so it was a site of religious importance.[8]
People of Kevadia, Kothi, Waghadia, Limbdi, Navagam and Gora villages opposed the construction of the statue demanding back land rights of formerly acquired 927 acres of land and the creation of Garudeshwar taluka. They also opposed creation of Kevadia Area Development Authority (KADA) and Garudeshwar weir-cum-causeway project. Government accepted their demands.
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