Sirhind canal likely to be shut for repair work

Our Correspondent

Abohar, November 7

Responding to his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot’s request, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has given consent to start the pending Sirhind Feeder Canal relining work. Water Resources Department officials indicated the canal may be closed from November 22 to December 27.

The Sirhind Canal is a large irrigation canal that carries water from the Sutlej. It is one of the oldest and biggest irrigation works in the Indus river system, and was inaugurated in 1882.

Channi’s first meeting with Gehlot on October 5 at Jaipur was cancelled following outrage over farmers’ killings at Lakhimpur Kheri. They were expected to take up long-pending issues of renovating the canals that emanate from the Harike Barrage. Gehlot, a few days back, drew Channi’s attention to the MoU that was signed to complete relining of the Sirhind Feeder Canal within three years and requested to take up the work as both states were to go to the Vidhan Sabha poll after a few months. Officials said closure of the canal had been planned to take up relining work from Burji Number 172 to 303 spread over 40 km.

The Kisan Sangharsh Samiti said relining was to cover about 100-km canal system which would benefit 2.33 lakh hectares. “We hope governments in Punjab and Rajasthan will ensure no substandard material is used and monitoring is ensured,” Samiti spokesman Subhash Sehgal said.