Chandigarh: Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Friday informed the Punjab Vidhan Sabha that the state government was expanding canal irrigation and strengthening the canal network to ensure that water reaches agricultural fields across Punjab.
Replying during question hour to a question raised by Baba Bakala MLA Dalbir Singh regarding canal water supply and the lining of watercourses in the constituency, the Cabinet Minister said that concrete lining of 31.44 km of canals had been completed at a cost of Rs. 21.97 crore while the remaining 77 km would be taken up on the basis of feasibility assessments and priority.
The Cabinet Minister informed the house that the canal network serving Baba Bakala constituency originates from the Sabhraon Branch of the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) system. Irrigation in the area is supplied through seven distributaries and five minors with a combined length of 108.71 km.
Providing details of the work completed in the constituency, Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal said that 31.44 km of the 108.71-km canal network had been lined with concrete at a cost of Rs. 21 crore 97 lakh 50 thousand. The remaining stretch of approximately 77 km would be considered for lining in the coming period based on technical feasibility and project priorities. He said the objective was to strengthen the canal infrastructure and improve the reliable delivery of irrigation water to farmers.
Sharing details of water availability in Baba Bakala, the Cabinet Minister said that during the Kharif season, water flows in different distributaries ranged from 100% to 132.8% of their respective capacities. He added that canal flows across Punjab had reached 40,000 cusecs for the first time, whereas, the average water capacity was around 26,000 cusecs prior to year 2022.
