Nominations for 'Sardar Patel National Unity Award 2026' open till July 31
Gandhinagar, July 7
The Government of India has invited nominations for the Sardar Patel National Unity Award 2026, which recognises Indian citizens, institutions and organisations for their exceptional contribution towards promoting national unity and integrity of India.
According to a release issued by the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Eligible Indian citizens, institutions, and organisations may submit their nominations and recommendations can be submitted online through the National Awards Portal till July 31, 2026.
The Sardar Patel National Unity Award-2026 will be announced on October 31, 2026, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which is observed as National Unity Day.
The Home Department, Gandhinagar, has urged all eligible citizens, institutions and organisations across Gujarat to submit their online nominations before the deadline.
Meanwhile, to further strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Catch the Rain" campaign, the Gujarat Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is undertaking several major initiatives to improve irrigation and water availability across the state's remote regions.
As part of this initiative, two advanced Air-Filled Rubber Dam projects have been approved and are currently under construction: Rajvasana Rubber Dam on the Heran River near Rajvasana village in Bodeli taluka, Chhota Udepur district and Pathakwadi Rubber Dam on the Ambika River near Pathakwadi village in Dolvan taluka, Tapi district.
Guided by Water Resources and Water Supply Minister Ishwarsinh Patel, the Rajvasana project is being developed at a cost of ₹82.97 crore and is targeted for completion by September 2027. Once operational, it will provide direct irrigation benefits to farmers in 25 nearby villages.
Similarly, the Pathakwadi Rubber Dam, being built at a cost of ₹79.13 crore, is based on advanced Japanese design and uses South Korean rubber bladder technology. It will provide irrigation water to approximately 650 hectares of farmland, significantly benefiting local farmers.
The project involves the installation of a 180-metre-long and 3.5-metre-high inflatable rubber bladder across the Heran River.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The rubber dam projects on Heran and Ambika rivers are long overdue! Farmers in Chhota Udepur and Tapi districts have been struggling with erratic water supply. Japanese design and Korean technology – hope this works better than some earlier irrigation schemes. ₹82 crore is big money, but if it irrigates 25 villages, it's worth it. 💧🌾
National unity award is nice, but what about the cost? ₹82 crore for one rubber dam, another ₹79 crore for another – that's over ₹160 crore. I hope the government has done proper feasibility studies. Also, shouldn't we focus on traditional water conservation methods like check dams and farm ponds rather than expensive foreign technology? Just saying.
Great to see Sardar Patel being honored! The iron man of India would be proud. But honestly, instead of awards, we need more concrete steps for unity – like promoting inter-state harmony, respecting all languages, and addressing regional disparities. Still, nomination deadline till July 31, so please nominate deserving people! 🇮🇳
The "Catch the Rain" campaign and rubber dams show the government is thinking about water security. But I live in Gujarat and we faced water shortage last summer despite such projects. Hope these dams are completed on time – September 2027 seems far away. Farmers need water now, not in three years! 😤
National unity award is good symbolism, but I'm more impressed by the rubber dam projects. Using advanced Japanese and South Korean technology for Indian rivers – that's the kind of innovation we need! The 180-metre-long bladder on Heran River sounds impressive
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