The Punjab Government has decided to brick-line all irrigation channels falling in 561 villages across four districts by March 2017. Aimed at providing a boost to agriculture sector, the State has prepared a detailed project under which Rs929 crore would be spent and it would benefit 6.65 lakh acres of agricultural land falling in the districts of Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur and Barnala.
“I have recently met Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti and raised this issue. I am thankful to the Central Government for clearing the project on priority basis,” said the State Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon.
Dhillon said that once this project gets completed by March 2017, the farmers would get supply of water for irrigation purposes more efficiently. “It is a long pending demand of the farmers that they want their irrigation channels brick-lined. And now, we have solved their problem and fulfilled our promise,” he said.
The Minister informed that water used for irrigation would be saved once the irrigation channels are brick-lined. The water which would be saved, would be used for irrigating more 1.15 acres of agricultural land, he said. The irrigation channels to be brick-lined are more than 5,000 kilometres in length and that the work would be completed in a transparent manner, he added.