In a bid to prevent disasters like the Surat floods of 2006, the Gujarat government is constructing the country's largest mega-size composite model for the Tapi. The project will replicate the meandering nature of the river and accurately assess its flow. It is being overseen by the Gujarat Engineering Research Institute (GERI), Vadodara, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Narmada Water Resources & Water Supply Department.

GERI is constructing a 500-metre long and 200-metre wide Tapi River Model in 12 hectares to trace the exact topography of the river from the Ukai Dam to its confluence near the sea. The prototype will replicate about 140 km of the river's path covering nearly 125 km along the land and further 15 km along the sea.

GERI Director L V Ashara said: "The government's mandate is very clear. We will simulate the exact conditions in the prototype and carry out qualitative data analysis so that pre-emptive measures are taken against disasters like the Surat Floods of 2006."

Previously, GERI had worked in close co-ordination with the Central Design Organisation (CDO) of the state government, which had constructed about 50 models of the various hydro-projects in the state. The Stage Construction Model of the Sardar Sarovar (Navagam Dam) Project, the Ukai Spillway Composite Model, the Narmada Canal Crossing Structure and the Head Regulatory Structure of Sujalam Sufalam Canal are some of the notable projects.