Punjab: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated on Wednesday that the groundwater level in the state has improved due to an increased supply of canal water for irrigation. While providing details on the performance of the Water Resources Department over the past four years, Mann remarked, “Thanks to our efforts, dependence on groundwater has decreased significantly. In a village in Gurdaspur, the rate of groundwater extraction has dropped from 61.48 percent to approximately 31 percent. Our objective is to further increase the utilization of surface water and alleviate the pressure on groundwater resources.” He asserted that the AAP government has ensured a water supply to farms—equivalent to that provided by the Bhakra Canal—by diverting 10,000 cusecs of water from seasonal rivers and by revitalizing the dilapidated canal network. He noted that the coverage of canal irrigation has expanded from a mere 26.50 percent in 2022 to 78 percent today. Under this initiative, long-dormant canals—such as the 22-kilometer-long Sarhali Canal—have been reactivated; a round-the-clock water supply has been ensured through the Ferozepur-Sirhind Feeder; and, for the first time since independence, canal water has been delivered to 1,446 villages.
Mann further informed that since April 2022, a sum of ₹6,700 crore has been invested in the lining, modernization, and infrastructure strengthening of canals. The Chief Minister stated, “The total canal irrigation potential in Punjab stands at approximately 75.90 lakh acres; however, as of March 2022, canal water was reaching only 20.89 lakh acres (i.e., 26.5 percent) of farmland. We have expanded this coverage to approximately 58 lakh acres, thereby boosting the utilization of canal water to nearly 78 percent.” He stated, “We have spent approximately ₹2,000 crore on the construction and repair of canals spanning nearly 13,000 kilometers, as a result of which canal water is now reaching 58 lakh acres of farmland. Additionally, approximately 7,000 water channels have also been revitalized.” He further added, “A total of 15,539 canals have been desilted, and 18,349 watercourses have been restored, thereby ensuring that canal water now reaches even the fields located at the very tail-end of the network.” A total of 101 abandoned canals, extending over 545 km, have been brought back into operation. Many of these canals had lain defunct for 30 to 40 years and had become completely choked with silt. We restored them without acquiring a single inch of land.
He further noted that the mere restoration of rainwater channels has brought an additional 2.75 lakh acres of land under the ambit of irrigation. “By rehabilitating the old canal systems, we have ensured that an additional 10,000 cusecs of water is now reaching the fields. In essence, we have created a new ‘Bhakra Canal’ without acquiring any land,” he remarked. “The 22-km-long Sarhali Minor Canal had completely vanished due to the negligence of previous governments. When our engineers commenced work, they discovered that the canal lay buried beneath the ground. Even the local residents had forgotten about its very existence. Today, it has been fully restored to operation,” he said. Previously, canal water was supplied on a rotational basis, compelling farmers to wait for their turn. “Now, we have ensured that farmers receive water every single day,” he stated. In Hoshiarpur, the Kandi Canal has been made operational after nearly 40 years. New canal systems—such as Cheema Minor, Phillaur Minor, Karamgarh Link, Rajpura, Patran, Ghaggar, and Kotla—have helped extend irrigation coverage across the entire region. “Desilting work is currently underway on the Sutlej, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers, with a target of removing 245 million cubic feet of silt. Furthermore, 206 kilometers of riverbanks are being strengthened to prevent flood-related damage,” he added.
