The Uttar Pradesh government is set to give a big gift to around five million farmers of eastern region (Purvanchal) in the form of Saryu canal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the long-pending Saryu Canal National Project at Balrampur on Saturday.
The project will enable farmers to have two crops instead of one as water resources will be available in abundance while harnessing the problem of floods. There will be a fair crop bonus for farmers in areas with two crops. Farmland of the region will be rejuvenated with the commissioning of the project. The income of farmers will rise due to increase in irrigated land and rise in production of rabi and kharif crops in the region.
The project will facilitate irrigation of about 15 lakh (14.04 lakh) hectares of arable land while offering a permanent solution to the problem of floods in certain areas of Purvanchal by linking main and tributary canals to barrages built on rivers Ghaghra, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohin. The barrages are called Girija, Saryu, Rapti, and Banganga.
When the project was initially launched to expand irrigation capacity in Bahraich and Gonda in 1978, it was called Ghaghra canal. However, in 1982-83, the scope of the project was widened with the inclusion of nine districts of trans-Ghaghra-Rapti-Rohini areas of eastern UP and was renamed Saryu Project. It was decided that along with Ghaghra, Rapti, Rohin would also be connected with the canal system. However in 2012, considering the importance and utility of the project, the Centre declared it a national project and renamed it Saryu Canal National Project.
The project boasts of a canal network with a total length of 6,590 km covering Saryu Main Canal, Rapti Main Canal and Gola Pump Canal, Dumariaganj Pump Canal, Ayodhya Pump Canal and Utraula Pump Canal. The Saryu Canal Project is also connected to the Irrigation department’s national project as well as the ambitious River Valley Linking Project of the Government of India. The project will see linking of Ghaghra, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohin rivers in future, solving the annual problem of floods facing the nine districts to a great extent.
The Yogi government, after assuming office in 2017, provided sufficient funds and expedited work on the project. In order to complete the remaining works of the canals, land was purchased by running a special campaign with the help of the local administration. Work is also underway to complete the canals as fast as possible. Besides, gaps were bridged in the canal network while work was expedited on Rapti Main Canal, its Campierganj branch and the distribution systems.
A 17.035 km-long Saryu tributary canal with the capacity of 360 cusecs capacity has been taken out from the left bank of Girjapuri barrage constructed on Ghaghra river in Bahraich, which will bring water to the upstream right bank of the Saryu barrage built on the Saryu river. Similarly, a 63.15 km Saryu canal with 360 cusec capacity has been taken out from the left bank of Saryu barrage.
