Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth Rs 284 crore, marking the sixth year of the Statue of Unity project, at the site of the Narmada river in October. The site has now been renamed as Ekta Nagar, The Indian Express reported.

The Statue of Unity, the tallest in the world, stands at 182-metre and was built at a cost of Rs 2989 crore. Since its establishment, allied projects worth at least Rs 500 crore have cropped up at the site, adding to the infrastructure of the rapidly growing “tourist city”.

Statute of Unity: New projects at the site

The new projects include two walkways, each approximately one kilometer long, connecting Ekta Dwar (the parking area) to Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan, as well as from the Bus Bay to View Point-1. These walkways measure 7.5 metres in width. They have 100 benches installed along with a shade having sprinklers in line with the extreme temperatures during the summer season.

The projects inaugurated in October include the Rajwadu Bhavan, which highlights royal history, and the Tribal Museum. Additional developments feature traffic circles, ten Smart Bus Stops, a CESL Car Charging Port, and a 4 MW solar project constructed at a cost of Rs 23.26 crore.

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According to officials from the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Regulation Authority (SOUADTGA) in Ekta Nagar, the smart bus stops and ten pick-up stands are part of Phase 1 of an initiative designed to streamline traffic management and enhance the city’s aesthetics.

The traffic circles have been built at Ekta Nagar Teen Rasta (Tiraha), Garudeshwar Chowk, at a cost of Rs 2.58 crore. “ For the safety of pedestrians, push button pedestrian crossings at 10 places in Ekta Nagar, car charging points near Reva Bhawan and running tracks for Rajya Rakshi Police Force (SRPF) will also be inaugurated,” SOUADTGA said.

First sub-district hospital

A 50-bedded sub-district hospital was also inaugurated by PM Modi, the first in the area. The hospital has been constructed at a cost of Rs 22 crore and has a trauma centre, ICU, labour room and a minor operation theatre, among other things.

Soon, the Prime Minister also inaugurated two ICUs on wheels.