Fatehgarh Sahib, July 29: Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Tuesday inaugurated canal irrigation infrastructure projects worth ₹30.71 crore in the Fatehgarh Sahib Assembly constituency, saying the initiatives will strengthen irrigation facilities, reduce farmers’ dependence on groundwater and improve water supply to agricultural fields.
The projects include the lining and strengthening of the Saidpura Minor, Rajindergarh Minor and 1-L Rajbaha over a combined length of 33.68 kilometres, along with the laying of 23.05 kilometres of underground pipelines.
The minister also announced that an underground pipeline project worth ₹3.75 crore is nearing completion. The project will provide canal water to farmers in Sanipur, Barha, Chhaleri Kalan, Saifalpur, Muhammadipur, Adampur, Bibipur and Sarana villages, benefiting around 2,332 acres of agricultural land.
Addressing a gathering at village Sondha, Goyal said the Punjab Government is focusing on expanding canal irrigation to conserve rapidly depleting groundwater. He claimed that while only 26 per cent of canal water reached farmers’ fields during previous governments, the present government has invested ₹7,500 crore to strengthen the canal irrigation network, increasing canal water coverage to 86 per cent of villages across the state.
He said the government is undertaking large-scale works to ensure canal water reaches every field, adding that improved irrigation infrastructure will lower farmers’ irrigation costs while helping preserve groundwater for future generations.
Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Advocate Lakhbir Singh Rai, who was present at the event, thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the Water Resources Department for prioritising the long-pending demand of farmers for canal water. He said the projects would significantly benefit the farming community and provide a boost to agricultural activities in the constituency.