About Statue of Unity Facts:

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue or known as the Statue of Unity is situated in the Indian state of Gujarat. Sardar Vallabhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first Home Minister of India. After completion of the construction work, his statue is the world’s tallest statue standing at a height of 182 meters.
•  The project was first announced in 2010 and the construction of the statue began in October 2013 by Larsen & Toubro, who received the contract for Rs 2,989 crore from the Govt of Gujarat. The sculptor was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar.
•  To support the construction of the statue, the Statue of Unity movement was started to support the construction of the statue. This movement helped a lot to collect the iron needed for the statue. By asking farmers to donate their scrap farming instruments. It is heard that by 2016, a total of 135 metric tonnes of scrap iron had been gathered. Out of 135 metric tonnes, about 109 metric tonnes of it were utilized to make the foundation of the statue after processing.
• The statue is located at the shore of the Narmada River facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018, on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• On 15th December 2013, a marathon entitled “Run For Unity” was held in Surat and in Vadodara to support the project.
• The world’s tallest “Statue of Unity” is a pride of India and a decent honor to the fearless who undivided and integrated India, our precious Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was highly respected for his leadership in uniting the 552 states of India to form the single Union of India.

About Design:

• After studying several statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel across the country, a team of historians, artists, and academics choose to proceed with a design submitted by the Indian sculptor, Ram V. Sutar. The expression, posture and pose justify the dignity, confidence, iron will, and kindness that his personality expel. Three models of the design measuring 3 feet, 18 feet, and 30 feet were created at the beginning. Once the design of the largest model was approved, a detailed 3D-scan was designed which model the basis for the bronze cladding cast in a workshop in China.

About Construction:

•  India’s leading infrastructure company L&T won the contract on 27 October 2014 for its lowest bid of Rs 2,989 crore equivalent to Rs 36 billion in 2018 for the design, construction, and maintenance. They initiated the construction on 31 October 2014. In phase-1 of the project, Rs 1,347 crore was spent for the main statue, Rs 235 crore spent for the exhibition hall and convention center, Rs 83 crore spent for the bridge connecting the memorial to the mainland and Rs 657 crore spent for the maintenance of the structure for 15 years after its completion.
•  As per the L&T official, they have employed over 3000 workers and 250 engineers for the construction of the statue. The foundation of the statue utilized 210,000 cubic meters of cement concrete, 6500 tonnes of structural steel, and 18500 tonnes of thickened steel. The outer part together with 1700 tonnes of bronze plates and 1850 tonnes of bronze surrounding which in turn include 565 macro and 6000 micro panels.
•  The total height of the structure is 240 m (790 ft), with a base of 58 m (190 ft) and the statue of 182 m (597 ft). The height of 182 was specially chosen to match the number of seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
•  The statue is built in a way that can stand up against winds of up to 180 km/hour and earthquakes measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale which is at a depth of 10 km and within a radius of 12 km of the statue.
•  It took 57 months to complete, 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction and two months for handing over by the consortium.
•  To make sure seamless execution of the whole project, an independent society named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) has been established under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Government of Gujarat.

About Funding:

• The total cost of the project was estimated to be about Rs 2,063 crore equivalent to Rs 25 billion in 2018 by the government. The tender bids for phase-1 were invited in October 2013 and were closed in November 2013.
•  This statue was built by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Most of the money allocated by Gujarat Govt i.e. Rs 500 crore for the project in the budget from 2012-2015. Rs 239 crore was also allocated in the 2014-15 Union Budget for the construction of the statue.
•  Funds were also shared by the Public Sector Undertakings under the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme.

Issues faced during the construction:

• Local tribals belonging to the Tadvi caste against land acquisition for the construction of tourism infrastructure nearby the statue. Although, they have been offered cash, land compensation, and provided jobs.
•  People of nearby villages such as Kevadia, Kothi, Waghodia, Limbdi, Navagam, and Gora against the construction of the statue and claimed the refund of the land rights over 375 hectares (927 acres) of land obtained earlier for the construction of the dam as well as the constitution of new Garudeshwar subdistrict.
•  They also disagree with the development of the Kevadia Area Development Authority (KADA) and the construction of the Garudeshwar weir-cum-causeway project. At last, the government of Gujarat has to accept their demands.

About Tourism:

•  The Gujarat government has made every effort to develop the entire neighborhood as a world-class tourist center. As it is double in height of world-famous New York’s Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Unity is fair to draw numbers of foreign tourists along with domestic visitors across India. The statue’s location is its important features. The beautiful scenic surroundings of the Satpura and Vindhyachal hills along with the heroic river Narmada give the perfect view to the statue, which is built on an Island.
•  The viewers’ gallery inside the statue is a prime attraction at the site located at the height of 135 with a capacity to accommodate 200 persons at a time. There are also high-speed lifts installed and are capable of taking 5,000 people per day to the viewing gallery, which offers a breathtaking sight of the surrounding areas.
•  There are numerous other tourist attractions around apart from the Statue of Unity including the valley of flowers, natural beauty of the Satpura and Vindhyachal hill ranges.
•  The Gujarat government newly opened a luxurious nature sanctuary, Tent City Narmada, just 10 minutes away from the monument.
•  On 1st November 2018, over 1,28,000 tourists visited the Statue of Unity in 11 days after it was opened to the public. At the same time, over 1.9 million visitors in 9 months were visited. It is expected that this tallest statue will generate around 15,000 direct jobs in tourism.

Proposed and Planned Infra:

• As of now, there are several projects in the card to assure that this place turns out to be a popular tourist point.
•  A world-class zoo will be developed across 1,300 acres over seven levels by the name Sardar Patel Zoological Park near the statue.
•  Moreover, there is a plan to start boating activities near the statue as a jetty is being constructed in the Narmada.

Recent News on Statue of Unity:

• The day before yesterday, PM Modi urges people to visit Sardar Sarovar Dam and its nearby the Statue Of Unity in his home state Gujarat that has touched historic 134-meter water levels.
•  After setting a number of records, the Statue of Unity in Gujarat has found a place in the Time’s list of 100 greatest places in the world.
•  It is a matter of pride that the Statue of Unity is emerging as a popular tourist destination and at the same time, a record 34,000 people visited the site in a single day.
• On 18th August 2019, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated a river rafting sports facility at Khalvani near the Statue of Unity.
• This statue is known as the Pride of the Nation, but the mass of people think that spending Rs. 2900 crores on it have been completely wastage of public money. Several questions have been asked In the recent govt exams.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Statue of Unity?

Advantages of Statue of Unity

• It is the world’s tallest statue which has recently been awarded in Time’s list of 100 greatest places in the world, is located in India and considered to be ‘Pride of Nation’.
• It will boost income from tourism and generate a large number of hotels, transports and other services.
• Increase in the transport, restaurants, accommodation, service sectors.
• It is estimated that this statue will remain as it is for 1000 years which implies that it will contribute to the national income of India through tourism for centuries.
• Local people getting employment.
• The local business has seen lots of progress.

Disadvantages of Statue of Unity

• The government has spent a huge amount of money on this project over other priorities like women’s safety, education and agriculture schemes.
• There are plenty of sectors in India, like health, safety, employment and education where the money could have been utilized.
• Many political parties allege that this was a place of religious significance, so it should not be built on the land.

Was it worth spending a huge amount on the Statue of Unity?

• If I start writing whether the Statue of Unity worth or not, it will go on and on but I hope this little and fair idea of why building this statue is a step in the right direction.
•  It will lead to a lot of new employment opportunities every year and PM Modi has promised that thousands of young generation will get employment through this project.
•  It’s not just about Inda’s pride of building the tallest statue but it’s about creating employment and revenue for the country. At the same time, it will create new business opportunities for the people living in nearby areas.
•  Local businesses have been seen in lots of progress. Earlier nearer restaurants used to remain profitable only during monsoon while dam overflowing.
•  Increase in the transport, restaurants, accommodation, and service sectors. This reversely will improve the economy of India.
•  Living in a developing country we always aim to think of everything from the perspective of giving everything to poor people, but that does not help after 76 years of Independence.
•  As per a report, 480 million people are still under poverty like in India. If the government just donated these Rs 2989 cr in their bank accounts, they would have got peanuts. That’s not a decent amount to give them. Also, when was the last time giving free money helped the poor get out of poverty? Employing more n more people will simply take out people from poverty.
•  This is just one project. The government has lots of projects in place to help the poor offering education, medical facilities, toilets, and housing facilities.
•  How is it fair to say that projects like these should not be undertaken and instead the money should again be used for education and other purposes? If we do that, we will never come out of that wrong period.
• For the development of the nation, we need to change our mindset and start thinking of initiatives like these from a different angle not from the angle of politics.

FAQ on Statue of Unity:

The water capacity of Sardar Sarovar Dam

The dam, which has the capacity to store 4.75 million acre-feet of water, is 84.84% full at present.

 What is the entry fee of the Statue of Unity?

Each ticket is issued for two hours. A basic entry ticket to the Statue of Unity costs Rs 120 for adults and Rs 60 for kids. It will allow you to enter the valley of flower, audio-visual gallery, the Statue of Unity site, memorial, museum and the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

 Which day the Statue of Unity is closed?

It is open to the public on all days of the week from 9 am and closes at 5 pm.

 How long does it take to see the Statue of Unity?

Normally, you should budget 4 to 5 hours as the time taken to visit the statue of unity.

 What is the per day income of the Statue of Unity?

An income of Rs 6.38 crore has been made from ticket collection by Sardar Patel Ekta Trust in a month since opening for the public on November 1, 2018.

 What is the cost of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue?

The Statue of Unity project built at a cost of Rs 2,989 crore. The statue is located about 3.5 km downstream from the Sardar Sarovar Dam, on Sadhu Hill on the bed of the Narmada river.

 When was the world’s tallest statue the Statue of Unity inaugurated?

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the world’s tallest statue that of Sardar Vallabhai Patel on October 31, 2018.

 What is the best time to visit the Statue of Unity?

October to March is the best time to visit the Statue of Unity. The weather conditions are perfect to plan a visit.

 What is the ticket price to view the gallery of the Statue of Unity?

It is for Rs.120 for an adult person and Rs 350 to view the gallery.

 What is the cost of operation and maintenance for the Statue of Unity?

The cost of operation and maintenance cost stands around Rs 657 crore over 15 years/ Rs 43.8 crore annually/ or Rs 12 lakh per day.