Decade on, desilting of Old Bikaner Canal begins

As the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti on Monday agreed to end its three-week-long dharna, the Punjab Water Resources Department commenced the desilting of the Old Bikaner Canal almost after a decade.

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Sriganganagar District Collector Manju said Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had a word with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in this regard and 2,100 cusecs of water had been discharged into the Gang Canal.

Last week, a delegation of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian in this matter.

SKM leaders Gurpal Singh Sandhu, Amar Singh Bishnoi, Sukhbir Singh Fauji, Balkar Hundal and Hari Kahlon inspected the cleaning work along with the department officials. Bishnoi said the Punjab Water Resources Department’s Principal Secretary Krishan Kumar paid attention to their demands and took prompt action. Manju and Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu have decided to keep tabs on water theft.