The Punjab Government today in a significant decision gave its nod to the modernization of Bist-Doab canal which emanates from the Rupnagar headworks. The work on this project would commence on 8th December, 2015.Disclosing this here today, the Irrigation Minister, Punjab, Mr. Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said that the State Government has decided to modernize the Bist-Doab canal as part of a plan to modify the old system of Sirhind canal. He informed that this project would cost Rs. 270 crore to the state exchequer. He also said that the fructification of this project would bring immense benefits, in the form of irrigation through canal water, to the farmers of 847 villages falling in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawan shahar), Kapurthala, Jalandhar. The Minister further added that instructions have been issued to complete the project by 30thJune, 2016 so as to provide irrigation facilities to the farmers in shortest possible time.
The Minister also divulged that the Bist-Doab canal system was not working to its optimum capacity due to it being very old which necessitated the need for speedy completion of the project after approval. He said that with the completion of the modernization work, the capacity of Bist-Doab canal would increase and the irrigation percentage of Punjab would increase from 28-30 percent to 40 percent.
The Irrigation Minister further said that now the area under irrigation under Bist-Doab canal is 35000 acre which after the completion of the modernization project would increase to 2 Lakh Acre area. Divulging more, he said that for the other irrigation projects of the state, the Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal has already sent the case for approving the release special funds to the tune of Rs. 918 crore to the Central Government which would get the nod soon.
On this occasion, the Secretary, Irrigation, Kahan Singh Pannu said that in Punjab 28 % area gets irrigated by the canal water and with the modernization of Bist Doab Canal would increase the capacity of canal water on one hand and also provide more facilities to the farmers. He said that apart from this project of Rs. 270 crores another project of Rs. 50 crore would see the Distributaries of Bist Doab Canal being modernization.On this occasion Mr. Sehaj Preet Singh Mangat, OSD, Chief Engineer & all the Officers were also present.