Mansa canal distributaries to be strengthened, concrete-lined

Tribune News Service

Mansa, March 13

In order to help the farmers get adequate water for irrigation, the state government has begun with the work of strengthening and concrete-lining the distributaries in Mansa district.

“In continuation of their pro-farmer policies, the Punjab Government has started a new project in which all distributaries of the Kotla branch canal will be strengthened and concrete-lined at a cost of Rs 980 crore. This project has been started with the personal intervention of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and with the support of the Union government. This project would help the farmers in getting adequate water for irrigation,” said Mansa Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma.

He said when this project gets completed, besides farmers from Mansa district, the farmers of Sangrur, Barnala and Bathinda would also be benefitted in a big way.

When the distributaries are strengthened and concrete lining is complete, the water wastage would be checked in a big way and the farmers would get proper water for irrigation, he added.

“The work on strengthening and concrete lining of distributaries is going on in full swing and it will be completed shortly. Similar work on the Bhakhra main branch is also going on, under which 1,272.1 km of distributaries are to be strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 120.68 crore. Under this project, 28.35 km of distributaries would be strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 2.63 crore in Budhlada and 14.915 km long distributaries have already been strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 2.13 crore. About 756.771 km of distributaries will be strengthened and concrete-lined at a cost of Rs 87.06 crore in Sardoolgarh sub-division of the district,” the Deputy Commissioner added.

In Mansa district, 1,607 km long distributaries will be strengthened and concrete-lined at a cost of Rs 219.53 crore. In Mansa sub-division, Rs 133.222 crore will be spent on strengthening and concrete-lining 975 km long distributaries.

Till date, 364 km of distributaries has been strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 44 crore in Mansa sub-division.

Similarly, in Sardoolgarh sub-division of the district, 201 km of distributaries has been strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 31.3 crore, in Budhlada sub-division, 28 km of distributaries has been strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 4 crore.

About 593 km of distributaries has already been strengthened and concrete-lined by spending Rs 80 crore in the district.