Govt takes up just 6-km stretch of Ranbir Canal for desilting

Sumit Hakhoo

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 15

For the third consecutive year, the government is desilting only a stretch of the Ranbir canal which passes through the winter capital, raising questions on the future of the 113-year-old canal system in the state.

The 60-km canal starts from Akhnoor and ends at the Nekowal area in RS Pura close to the International Border with Pakistan.

Of the 36-km stretch passing through Jammu city, work was started on the 6-km stretch near Paloura today. The authorities concerned have been asked to complete the work by March 31. Water into the canal will be released ahead of Baisakhi on April 10.

“After a two-month delay, the process has been started in haste and there is confusion. No decision has been taken on cleaning the canal network passing through the interior areas under the Rural Development Department,” said an official source.

The canal system was designed by British engineers during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1905 but the water body has been neglected by the governments after 1947.

There have been allegations of bungling by officials and contractors who have been associated with the canal cleaning work in the past few years. This year, however, the government has used machinery of the Municipal Corporation to clean the canal stretch.

Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, KK Mangotra said: “We are desilting the dirtiest portion of the canal till Rajinder Park. The 6-km stretch has been chosen as the concentration of waste and muck is more there.”

Official sources, however, said desilting was not a selective process. He said the canal should be cleaned every year to ensure proper water discharge to farmers for whom it is a lifeline during summer.

The canal irrigates thousands of acres of farm land, including areas under world-famous basmati in RS Pura.

“Since the canal system was constructed, cleaning has been an annual feature in winter but how can it be done selectively? The canal has not been cleaned or repaired in the last several years which has affected its water carrying capacity during summer,” said Bushan Parimoo, an environmentalist.

Irrigates 29,700 hectares

• The 60-km Ranbir canal starts from Akhnoor and ends at the Nekowal area in RS Pura close to the International Border with Pakistan
• Of the 36-km stretch passing through Jammu city, work was started on the 6-km stretch near Paloura on Wednesday. The officials concerned have been asked to complete the work by March 31
• The canal irrigates 29,700 hectares covering 489 villages of Jammu