•Water Resources Minister informed the legislative assembly
- Says, canal water is being provided on priority to districts with excessive groundwater usage
“Will ensure cleaning of drains before next monsoon”
- Mann Government procured 13 heavy machines and cleaning drains at one-fourth the cost
Chandigarh, March 21:
Punjab Water Resources Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal, on Friday, said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government is rationalizing canal water distribution to ensure water reaches tail-end areas and districts receiving less canal water.
The Cabinet Minister said, Mann government has increased water allowance (canal water allocation per thousand acres) by 50 percent from two cusecs to three cusecs in many districts to ensure that areas with higher groundwater extraction receive canal water on a priority.
Responding to a question of Dharamkot MLA S. Davinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose regarding providing canal water and constructing water-courses in his constituency, the Cabinet Minister said that water allowance in many districts is 6 to 8 cusecs, while in districts like Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala and Mansa, it is only two cusecs. As a result, groundwater is being extracted in larger quantities in these districts. He said that work is being done on a priority in districts with higher water extraction to save groundwater. Funds are being allocated on priority considering the greater need for water-courses in such districts. He stated that our government is ensuring rational distribution of water allowance.
In response to MLA Dhose’s question, the Cabinet Minister informed that Dharamkot constituency has a total of eight canals, of which work on six canals has been completed at a cost of Rs.5830.63 lacs, providing water to 70,000 acres of land. In Dharamkot constituency, 14 kilometers of new water-courses were constructed at a cost of Rs 2.80 crores. He mentioned that a total of Rs.17,000 crore is required for water-courses across the state and funds will be provided to Dharamkot constituency according to the ratio.
The Cabinet Minister stated that in the last two years, work on 6 important projects costing Rs.58.30 crore has been completed to ensure canal water up till fields in Dharamkot constituency. These include concrete lining of Sidhwan Branch, Kishanpura minor, Dharmkot minor, 5-R minor system, Kingwah minor, 6-R minor and 4 Minor (Rehrwan, Hashmatwah, Khanna and Nathuwah Minors). He informed that these projects have brought an additional 11,772 hectares under canal irrigation and revitalized 17,516 hectares of cultivable command area (CCA). As a result, farmers in various villages of Dharamkot constituency such as Kishanpura, Indargarh, Lohgarh, Dharmkot, Rehrwan, Pandori Araian, Baduwal, Musewal, etc. are receiving better canal water facilities. With the concrete lining of these canals/minors, farmers are being provided canal water as per their demand, which will reduce their dependence on groundwater in the future.
“WILL ENSURE CLEANING OF DRAINS BEFORE NEXT MONSOON”
Similarly, in response to a question about drains cleaning raised by MLA S. Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon from Giddarbaha, Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal stated that the Mann government is already conducting thorough cleaning of drains and will ensure the quality in future.
He said that total 18 drains pass through the Giddarbaha constituency in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, of which 16 drains are associated with the office of Sri Muktsar Sahib Water Drainage Division and 2 drains to the Faridkot Water Drainage Division.
He said that as per site requirements, the cleaning of 17 drains was executed during the 2024-25 monsoon season using departmental machinery and through agencies, with a total expenditure of Rs.49,55,055. The 7 drains were cleaned using departmental machinery at a cost of Rs.19,28,820, while 10 drains were cleaned by agencies at a cost of Rs.30,26,235. He added that the cleaning work of these drains will be carried out before the onset of the 2025-26 monsoon season.
In response to another question of the MLA, the Cabinet Minister said that the Mann government has procured 13 heavy machines and these machines were used to effectively clean the drains at a fuel cost of Rs.19,28,820. He said, if this work had been outsourced to an agency, the cost would have been four times higher, noting that previously, no government had ever purchased such machinery.
