- News Updates
- PSU Watch
- Defence News
- Policy Watch
- हिन्दी न्यूज़
- Jobs Watch
- States News
- Event News
New Delhi/Chandigarh: Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Tuesday announced two canal irrigation projects worth Rs 100.65 crore to provide assured surface-water irrigation to over 90,000 acres of agricultural land, reduce farmers' dependence on groundwater and strengthen irrigation infrastructure.
The initiatives include a Rs 64.11 crore concrete lining project for the distributary system and a Rs 36.54 crore Kapuri Lift Irrigation Scheme, which will bring canal water to 20,719 acres across 20 villages in Patiala district for the first time.
The Bhagwant Mann government has prioritised the restoration, modernisation and expansion of the canal irrigation network to ensure reliable water supply to farmers while addressing the critical challenge of groundwater depletion.
The farmers of Punjab have been feeding the nation for decades. Our responsibility is to ensure that they receive assured water for their fields. The Mann Government is restoring the canal network and taking surface water to areas which have remained dependent on groundwater for generations," he said while speaking to reporters here.
The government has approved the Distributary System Concrete Lining Project, estimated at Rs 64.11 crore, to reconstruct and enhance the carrying capacity of the approximately 60-year-old distributary.
The project will restore and ensure adequate irrigation water supply to 69,967 acres, benefiting approximately 80 villages across Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala districts.
He said the existing carrying capacity of the distributary would be increased from 154.50 cusecs to 248.69 cusecs through concrete lining.
The project provides for side lining along the initial stretch and both side and bed lining along the remaining length.
An allocation of Rs 40 crore has been made for executing the project during the current financial year.
"The distributary was designed around six decades ago for a water allowance of 2.04 cusecs per 1,000 acres. With the government increasing the water allowance to 3.05 cusecs per 1,000 acres, strengthening its carrying capacity has become essential," the minister said.
He said the existing unlined channel had deteriorated over the years, with leakage and seepage resulting in substantial water losses and affecting efficient conveyance and uninterrupted supply.
The concrete lining would address these deficiencies, enhance carrying capacity and ensure more reliable canal irrigation to farmers.
On the second project, he said the Kapuri Lift Irrigation Scheme, formulated at a cost of Rs 36.54 crore, would provide assured surface-water irrigation to 20,719 acres of agricultural land across 20 villages in Patiala district along the Haryana border.
"These areas had historically remained without canal-water facilities, leaving farmers heavily dependent on groundwater for irrigation," he added.
As many as 20 villages will benefit under the scheme, he said. Water will be lifted and conveyed through a network of distribution pipelines directly to agricultural fields.
The project will be executed in phases, with Rs 4 crore proposed for expenditure during the first phase in the current financial year.
“The Kapuri Lift Irrigation Scheme addresses a long-standing demand of farmers in an area where canal-water facilities were historically unavailable. For the first time, 20,719 acres will receive assured canal-water irrigation. This will reduce pressure on groundwater and strengthen the sustainability of agriculture,” said Goyal.
The minister further said that the government has increased the water allowance of the Bhakra Main Line system from 2.04 to 3.05 cusecs per 1,000 acres to ensure fuller utilisation of Punjab's share of canal water and address the growing problem of groundwater depletion.
The minister said the Punjab government invested approximately Rs 7,500 crore in strengthening the state's canal irrigation infrastructure.
Around 14,000 kilometres of watercourses had been constructed and pipelines laid, while more than 19,000 watercourses had been restored.
(PSU Watch is India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy. 👉 Click to join our channel now: PSUWatch WhatsApp Channel. Prefer LinkedIn? Follow PSU Watch on LinkedIN. Click to stay connected on Twitter here and stay updated.)
