The Punjab Government has prepared a new project to provide better irrigation facilities to the farming sector of the state under which underground water channels of 610 K.M. length would be constructed from the siphons of kandi canal stage-1. The project would bring 19867 barani area under irrigation.Disclosing this, Irrigation Minister Punjab S. Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said that with the project worth Rs. 73.45 crore coming to fruition, the farmers of Hoshiarpur and nearby areas would get better irrigational facilities.The Minister further said that during previous 9 years the state government has concretized the watercourses in 13740 K.M. area at a cost of Rs. 1428.06 crore so as to provide finer irrigation facilities to the farmers and it has resulted in bringing 700440 hectare area under superior irrigational ambit. He also divulged that the state government initiatives has saved the precious water of the state from being wasted through leakage by concretizing these watercourses besides providing irrigation facilities till feed tails through proper distribution system which has lead to the increased agricultural production in the state.Disclosing more, S. Dhillon said that the work of concretizing watercourses on 5 new projects worth Rs. 914 crore and pertaining to Sirhind Feeder Part-2, Bathinda Branch Part-2, U.B.D.C., Kotla Branch Part-2 and Ghaggar Branch Part-1 is being carried out on war footing. He also said that the work related to the re-construction/construction of broken watercourses of Abohar Branch, Bhakhra Main Branch, Sirhind Feeder and Bathinda Branch District Sri Muktsar Sahib is also progressing at a rapid pace.Giving more details, the Minister said that apart from this the kotla branch part-1 and eastern canal part-1 measuring 822 K.M. in length were completed during 2007-08 accruing Rs. 85.51 crore thereby bringing 26141 hectare area under advanced irrigation facilities.