Chandigarh, Aug 10 (PTI) Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Monday claimed that the AAP government has transformed the state’s irrigation landscape by restoring canals and watercourses and ensuring that canal water reaches even the tail-end fields, sand dunes and elevated hilly areas.
Speaking in the Assembly on a resolution moved by MLA Davinderjit Singh Laadi Dhos to laud the efforts of the Punjab government in restoring canals and watercourses, Goyal said the Bhagwant Mann government undertook these works with the larger objective of conserving the state’s precious groundwater and securing the future of agriculture.
The House passed the resolution unanimously.
Goyal, who also holds the soil and water conservation and mines and geology portfolios, said Punjab has made an unparalleled contribution to the country’s food security by extensively using its groundwater resources for agriculture.
However, the prolonged dependence on groundwater also placed the state’s water resources under severe stress, he said.
The minister said the state government has recognised the gravity of the situation and adopted a clear strategy to shift agricultural dependence towards canal irrigation by taking canal water to fields across Punjab.
Strengthening the canal network and restoring watercourses were essential for ensuring reliable irrigation facilities to the farmers, Goyal said.
He said a major hurdle under the earlier system was the requirement for farmers to contribute 10 per cent of the cost of watercourses and underground pipelines while 90 per cent was borne by the government.
Since many farmers were unable to contribute their share, several projects remained stalled, he said.
In 2023, the state government took a decisive step by waiving the 10 per cent contribution clause and undertaking to bear the entire cost of such works, Goyal said.
“This decision removed a major financial obstacle and accelerated the restoration of watercourses and laying of underground pipelines across the state. As part of this concerted drive, around 19,316 watercourses have been restored across Punjab,” he said.
Goyal said the government also significantly enhanced the carrying capacity of the existing canals, including the Sirhind and the Ferozepur feeders.
“Instead of relying solely on construction of new canals, the department increased the capacity of the existing network through widening and deepening of canal sections,” he said.
The capacity of the state’s canal system has now risen to around 36,000 cusecs and the water flow has touched nearly 39,000 cusecs, he said.
Goyal also said the canal network is now carrying water close to its full supply level in several stretches, thereby ensuring improved availability of irrigation water.
According to the minister, 1,687 locations across Punjab have received canal water for the first time.
“The restoration of the canal infrastructure is already producing encouraging results in terms of groundwater conservation,” Goyal said.
Referring to a Central Ground Water Board report, he said that out of 153 groundwater assessment blocks in Punjab, 74, accounting for around 48 per cent, have shown improvement in their groundwater status.
“Five blocks also moved from higher groundwater stress categories towards relatively better categories. These findings have provided encouraging evidence that expanding canal irrigation and reducing dependence on groundwater extraction could help improve the state’s groundwater position,” the minister said.
On water sharing, Goyal said Punjab has historically made enormous sacrifices for the country’s food security and it has a legitimate responsibility to safeguard its water resources.
The state will not part with water beyond its rightful share, he said. PTI CHS ARI
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