The Gujarat government today issued work order of Rs 2,979 crore to one of India's largest engineering firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for constructing world's tallest statue -- The Statue of Unity-- one of the pet projects of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 182 meter statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is being built as a tribute to the 'Iron Man' of India and to popularise his thoughts and ideology. The project was floated by Modi on October 31, 2013, the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
The statue that will be double the size of 'Statue of Liberty' in US and four times that of 'Christ the Redeemer' in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will be built on the Sadhu island, approximately 3.5 km south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in the Narmada district of Gujarat. The construction of the statue along with exhibition hall, man-made lake and bridge connecting the Sadhu island with the mainland, hotel and convention centre, is likely to be completed in the next 42 months.
The work order was issued to L&T in presence of Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel and her entire cabinet today at a function held in Gandhinagar. L&T's member of the board and senior executive vice president (infrastructure and construction), S N Subrahmanyan, received the work order on behalf of the company from K Srinivasan, member secretary, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), the nodal agency for execution of the entire project.
Speaking on the occasion Patel said that the iconic structure and additional facilities being set up in the predominantly tribal area will play an important role in socio-economic development of the region. "This unique location will prove beneficial for eco-tourism and regional development. This icon-based development will also help generate local employment for the people in Kevadia," she said. The completion of the bidding process within a year of laying the foundation stone shows the commitment of the state government towards the project.
L&T's Subrahmanyan said, "Our work begins from today itself with the issuance of the work order. This is a very unique and complex project so first six months will be spent for design related work and the rest (36 months) for construction." He further said that the statue will be made up of steel frame on which around 13,000 bronze panels will be fitted. At about 152 meters there will be a viewing gallery where over 200 people can simultaneously stand and view the Sardar Sarovar Dam, he said, adding that more than 60,000 tonne of steel will be used in building the entire statue.
Another unique thing about the statue is that it will be made out of iron collected from farmers across India. Modi had launched the massive iron collection drive last year with senior state ministers and bureaucrats visiting states across the country and collecting a piece of iron from around 700,000 villages. This pieces will be melted and used for the construct of the memorial.
The first phase of the Statue of Unity project will involve construction of the main statue, a bridge connecting the statue to the river bank and reconstruction of the 12-kms road along the bank. The entire project will include the statue, a memorial park at the base of the statue, an artificial reservoir between the Dam and Garudeshwar town and a visitor facilitation centre and reception desk at Kevadia. The total height of the statue from the base (or reduce level) will be 240 meters, which includes base level of 58 meters.
Of the total contract of Rs 2,979 crore Rs 1,347 crore was for building the statue, Rs 235 crore for constructing exhibition centre and convention centre, Rs 134 crore for research and development centres and Rs 83 crore for building the bridge connecting memorial with the mainland.
According to the agreement, L&T will maintain and manage the project site for 15 year after completion of construction for which they will be paid a sum of Rs 657 crore over the period.
Key Features of Statue of Unity project
Statue Height: 182 meters
Concrete: 75,000 cubic meter
Structured steel: 5,700 metric tonne
Reinforced steel: 18,500 metric tonne
Bronze sheets: 22,500 metric tonne
Expected tourists: 2.5 million per annum
Year of completion: 2018
Other features
* Museum and audio-visual department depicting the life and times of Sardar Vallabhbai Patel.
* A laser, light and sound show on the efforts of unification of India.
* Research centre dedicated to the research and development of subjects close to Sardar Patel's heart like good governance and agriculture development. Here, subjects like water management and tribal development will also be studied and researched.
-- Will have world's fastest elevators to keep the visitor's tour engaging
-- The three-level base of the Statue - exhibit floor, mezzanine and roof will contains the memorial garden and a large continuous exhibition hall that will be developed as a visitor attraction - focusing on the contributions of Sardar Patel
Gujarat govt issues Rs 2,979 cr work order to L&T for 'Statue of Unit' | Business Standard News
US needs india (maybe not necessarily)and thats why
btw, this statue will be hub of tourism just like proposal of Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Arabian Sea.
