M’garh to have 20-km canal to recharge groundwater

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Mahendragarh, August 23

The Irrigation Department will construct a 20-km-long canal between Deroli Ahir and Pali villages in the district to recharge groundwater. The canal will pass through around 15 villages and surplus water will be used to fill the canal. The state government had recently sanctioned Rs 2.90 crore for the project.

Sources said the project had been chalked out following the demand by sarpanches of various villages, who expressed concern over the persistently depleting water table in the district during a meeting around six months ago. Later, they submitted a memorandum to local MLA and Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, demanding some steps to resolve the issue, the sources said.

“Acting on the demand, Sharma had directed irrigation officials to find permanent solution. The officials came out with the proposal of a canal exclusively for storing surplus rainwater to recharge groundwater. The proposal was sent to the government, which recently gave its nod to the project, clearing decks for construction of the 20-km-long canal in the district,” the sources said.

The sources said Sharma had raised the demand for construction of the canal before Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during the thanksgiving rally in Mahendragarh on July 21. The Chief Mimister had assured him of meeting the demand.

Farmers in the district had to depend upon canal water for agriculture due to the steep decline in the water table. Nangal Choudhary and Narnaul blocks in the district were declared a dark zone over a decade ago.

Gyan Chand, SDO (Irrigation), said the canal would be 18 feet deep and would pass through Daroli Ahir, Daroli Jat, Kuksi, Kothal Khurd, Kothal Kalan, Bhandor, Jaasavaas, Chandera, Mahendrgarh, Majra Khurd, Bagdiyana, Lavaan, Chargu and Pali villages in the district.

“Surplus water of main canals will be filled in the canal, that will supply it to ponds in nearby villages to raise the water table. Usually, main canals overflow with rain water.

Sometimes, these develop cracks due to excess water. In this situation, surplus water will be used for groundwater recharge,” he said.