Chandigarh, Oct 23 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said his government’s canal irrigation drive is transforming the state’s agricultural landscape, boosting paddy productivity and reversing groundwater depletion, with the groundwater table rising by four metres.
Terming canal water “desi ghee” for Punjab’s crops, he said 18,000 cusecs of water were now reaching agricultural fields, supported by 14,000 kilometres of underground pipelines, with another 6,000 kilometres planned to extend the network.
On the second day of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session here, Mann said the government’s mission was to bring canal water to every field, protect precious groundwater reserves and secure the future of Punjab’s farmers.
Providing canal
water to farmers is not merely an irrigation initiative; it is a decisive step towards protecting Punjab’s agricultural future, conserving our precious natural resources and safeguarding the interests of generations to come, he said.
“Canal-water utilisation increased from 22 per cent in 2022 to over 80 per cent today, with approximately 14,000 kilometres of pipelines laid to carry canal water to agricultural fields,” he informed the House.
“Canal water is like ‘desi ghee’ for Punjab’s crops. When our farmers receive adequate canal water, their dependence on groundwater declines, agricultural productivity improves, and farming becomes more sustainable. Our objective is to ensure that farmers get water where and when they need it, instead of being compelled to depend entirely on borewells,” said Mann.
“For decades, our farmers have been forced to dig deeper borewells to irrigate their crops as groundwater levels continued to decline. Our farmers have worked tirelessly to feed the nation, but the burden of saving their crops has increasingly fallen on our underground water reserves.
“We cannot allow a situation in which our farmers struggle for water while the future of our coming generations is put at risk,” he said.
According to a Union government report, Punjab’s groundwater table has risen by four metres as a result of our efforts to expand canal irrigation, Mann added.
Reports from villages where canal-water distribution pipelines have been laid are also encouraging, with farmers reporting improvements in groundwater levels. These developments reinforce our resolve to expand canal irrigation and reduce excessive groundwater extraction, he said.
He emphasised the need to document and verify crop-wise productivity figures to assess the full impact of improved irrigation.
He said reports of increased paddy productivity in areas receiving canal water underlined the importance of systematically evaluating the benefits of the initiative.
Mann said his government would continue strengthening the canal network, expanding pipeline-based distribution and promoting judicious water use to ensure Punjab’s agriculture remained productive without exhausting its natural resources.
“This will help us restore our groundwater reserves and ensure that Punjab continues to lead the country in feeding the nation while protecting the water that sustains our agriculture,” he added. PTI CHS BAL
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