Irrigation Department working on reviving closed canal systems in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 12

Officials of the irrigation department have said that they are trying to revive the irrigation system which has been lying closed for nearly 30 years in the Majha region. The tributaries and channels are being renovated for the coming paddy season.

Kulwinder Singh, Superintending Engineer (SE) of the Irrigation Department, said that at present, 17,060 employees and officers are engaged in the work across Punjab, including SDOs, junior engineers (JEs), Jiledars, Patwaris, Beldars and clerks. He said that out of 17,184 channels which were ploughed, about 4,000 canals have been rebuilt and work on the rest is in progress. He expressed the hope that the canal water would reach every farm by the end of June.

“The canal water used for irrigation of agriculture fields, which once played a major role in determining the price of land, has been unfocused in Majha and Doaba areas due to the introduction of electric motors to fetch groundwater. The blind use of groundwater resulted in major challenges for livelihood in the state. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Secretary of the Department Krishan Kumar decided to revive the irrigation system in state,” said Kulwinder Singh.

The Superintending Engineer said that three decades back, canal water was being used efficiently in the whole of Punjab but as the number of tube-wells increased and electricity supply became available, the farmers stopped trying to bring canal water to the fields and groundwater started to be used for irrigation. As a result, water table has reached below 100 feet in most areas of Punjab and a dangerous situation has arisen.

He said that in Majha and Doaba regions, people have plowed tributaries and channels in their fields. Kulwinder Singh said that the farmers have to do the work of cleaning the channels at their own level and the department has to clean the canals and tributaries. “We are now emphasising on reviving the channels which were ploughed by farmers during the past years. We are taking the help of the revenue department to claim the land for irrigation channels,” said the SE.

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