Karnal: Augmentation canal work on at slow pace

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Karnal, June 20

The work on the remodelling of the augmentation canal to ensure the additional discharge of water in southern districts is going on at a slow pace, with only 25 per cent of the job having been completed so far. The Irrigation Department has expressed concerns over the slow pace of the work and issued a notice to the agency concerned.

“We have issued a notice to the agency and directed it to complete the work before the deadline. We are continuously monitoring the progress of the project,” said Sanjay Rahar, Superintending Engineer (SE), Irrigation Department.

Notice on deadline

A total of 71 structures, including 51 bridges, 14 cross-drainage works, railway bridges, head and tail regulators and two escapes, will be built under the project. We have issued a notice to the agency and told it to complete the work before the deadline. Sanjay Rahar, superintending engineer, irrigation department

The remodelling work would enhance the capacity of the canal from the existing 4,500 cusecs to 6,000 cusecs and was being done from the Hamida head in Yamunanagar to the Picholia head up to the Western Yamuna Canal. The length of the canal was 75.250 km, which was being remodelled. Of this, around 20 km falls in Yamunanagar and 55 km in Karnal from Indri to Munak, said Navtej Singh, XEN, Irrigation Department.

A total of 71 structures, including 51 bridges, 14 cross-drainage works, railway bridges, two escapes, head and tail regulators and two escapes, would be constructed under the project, he added. The project has so far faced several hiccups and the work was re-allotted.

“The project was initiated under the NABARD budget of around Rs 489 crore. The work was allotted in April 2021, and was to be completed in two years, but due to a court case, it got delayed and the department has to re-allot the work,” the XEN said.

Earlier, due to delay in providing 110 hectares for afforestation, the project could not be started on time.

The work was restarted by a new agency on January 28, 2022, and the deadline had been fixed as December 27, 2023. The work was resumed in May 2022, but had to be stopped in July to run the water supply for the kharif season. The work resumed in October 2022, he added.

He claimed that the remodelling of the canal would save water as this work would stop seepage.