Narmada is the largest westward flowing river in India. However, only 10 % of the Narmada river basin is utilized today. The Saurashtra Branch Canal Project by Kirloskar Brothers Limited, for Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited, was envisaged to change this scenario and make the most from the benefits of irrigation and hydropower.

Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) worked as consultants for the state Government of Gujarat in designing the scheme for Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). Detailed study of the geographical terrain was undertaken in order to custom design the pumping schemes and other aspects of the project. The main challenge was the flow of the canal on the ascending region of Saurashtra. The KBL team faced the daunting task of commissioning pumps which will pump the entire volume of the water up the ascending Saurashtra branch which is 104 kilometers
long.