Chandigarh, March 18
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday laid out a historic turnaround in Punjab’s irrigation system, noting that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government has, in just four years, ensured water supply to fields equivalent to the Bhakra canal by unlocking 10,000 cusecs from seasonal rivers and reviving a collapsing canal network. The Chief Minister said canal irrigation coverage has surged from just 26.50% in 2022 to 78% today, with long-defunct systems like the 22-km Sarhali canal brought back to life, round-the-clock water supply ensured through the Ferozepur-Sirhind feeder, and canal water reaching 1,446 villages for the first time since Independence.
Mann addressed a detailed press conference, presenting a comprehensive account of the Punjab Government’s work in the irrigation sector over the past four years. “₹6,700 crore has been spent on canal lining, repair, modernisation and strengthening of infrastructure from April 2022 till now, which is the highest ever in Punjab’s history,” said the Chief Minister. He emphasised that Punjab has a total canal irrigation potential of around 75.90 lakh acres, but until March 2022, only 20.89 lakh acres, which was merely 26.5%, were actually receiving canal water.
“Today, we have increased this coverage to nearly 58 lakh acres, taking utilisation to around 78%. This is almost three times the earlier figure,” Mann stated, adding that the Punjab Government has ensured maximum utilisation of canal water available in the state. Detailing the massive scale of work undertaken on the ground, he said, “We have spent around ₹2,000 crore to construct and restore nearly 13,000 km of canals, due to which canal water is now reaching 58 lakh acres. Along with this, around 7,000 water channels have been restored.” He further added, “A total of 15,539 canals have been cleaned and 18,349 watercourses have been revived, ensuring that even tail-end agricultural fields now receive canal water.”
Highlighting a major structural intervention, Mann said, “For the first time in Punjab’s history, 101 abandoned canals spanning 545 km have been revived. Many of these canals had been closed for 30 to 40 years and even filled up with soil. We restored them without acquiring even a single inch of land.” He added that revival of rainwater channels alone has helped bring an additional 2.75 lakh acres under irrigation. “By restoring old canal systems, we have ensured that an additional 10,000 cusecs of water is now reaching fields. In effect, we have created a new ‘Bhakra canal’ without acquiring any land,” he said.
Sharing a striking example from Tarn Taran district, Mann stated, “The 22-km-long Sarhali Minor canal had completely disappeared due to the negligence of previous governments. When our engineers began work, they discovered the canal buried underground. Even local people had forgotten about its existence. Today, we have revived it and made it fully operational.” On strengthening major canal systems, he said, “The Ferozepur Feeder Canal, originally constructed in 1952, was upgraded in a record 35 days, increasing its capacity by 2,682 cusecs. Similarly, the Sirhind Canal, considered the lifeline of Malwa and built around 1950, has been upgraded after 75 years, increasing its capacity by 2,844 cusecs.” He added, “Through lining of major canals like Sirhind and Patiala, we have increased water availability by around 1.5 MAF and ensured that even tail-end areas no longer face shortages.”
