Chandigarh, Jan 7 (IANS) Ending a four-decade-long irrigation drought in Punjab’s Kandi belt, the state government has restored canal water supply to tail-end farms, bringing long-awaited relief to farmers in the hilly and drought-prone region.
With the completion of a Rs 238.90 crore revamp of the Kandi Canal system, irrigation has now reached 433 villages and is covering 1.25 lakh acres of agricultural land across the Kandi area, marking a decisive turnaround in the state’s irrigation landscape.
Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said the government has made irrigation revival a governance priority and backed it with unprecedented financial commitment.
“From 2022 to 2025, the Punjab government has invested over Rs 4,557 crore in canal irrigation, which is nearly two-and-a-half times more than the Rs 2,046 crore spent by the previous Congress government between 2019 and 2022,” he said.
Highlighting the impact on farmers, the minister said the results are now visible on the ground.
“In numerous areas, farmers who had abandoned hope are now receiving canal water after nearly 40 years.”
He explained that the Kandi Canal network, with a carrying capacity of 463 cusecs and a total length of 129.035 km from Talwara to Balachaur, had suffered severe deterioration over the years.
Although construction from Talwara to Hoshiarpur was completed in 1998 and Stage II from Hoshiarpur to Balachaur in 2016, widespread leakage and seepage had prevented water from reaching tail-end areas.
“The Mann government prioritised this long-pending issue and invested Rs 238.90 crore to ensure that canal water now flows from Talwara to Balachaur, reaching the furthest points after nearly four decades,” he explained.
He said the revived canal system is now benefiting 433 villages across Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts and irrigating 1.25 lakh acres of agricultural land in Dasuya, Mukerian, Tanda-Urmar, Sham Churasi, Hoshiarpur, Chabbewal, Garhshankar and Balachaur.
--IANS
vg/dan