State takes 38 years to complete Kandi canal

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

It has taken Punjab almost four decades to complete the construction of its first canal after the state’s reorganisation in 1966.

The Kandi canal project was launched by the then state government led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in 1978. The construction was finally completed by the state Department of Irrigation earlier this week.

The project to build the around 130-km-long canal was divided into two stages: 60 km from Talwara to Hoshiarpur and 70 km from Hoshiarpur to Balachaur. Stage I was completed in 1998-99, while it has taken another 18 years for Stage II. Work on the second phase was held up till 2005 due to a shortage of funds.

The state government is expected to announce the completion of the canal in a month or so.

KS Pannu, secretary, Department of Irrigation, said the construction of 90 per cent of the distribution system, having a total length of 1,220 km, was also complete. As a section of the farmers refused to give land for the canal, a stretch of 15 km has been laid through underground pipes.

After Independence and prior to the state’s reorganisation, the Sirhind Feeder and Rajasthan Feeder canals were constructed, while the Bist Doab Canal was rebuilt. The latter, which emerges from the Ropar barrage, was first constructed by the British between 1872 and 1875.