In a bid to revamp the Irrigation network in the state the Punjab Government would prepare a Master Plan for all the canals and distributaries in the state. A decision to this effect was taken by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal during a high level meeting with the officers of the Irrigation department here at his official residence late last evening.
Mr. Badal mentioned that under this plan all the macro as well as micro component calculations should be down to strengthen the existing irrigation network so that majority of farmers in state could be benefited besides saving a large quantity of water being wasted due to seepage and excessive silting in Rivers, Canals, Distributaries and Watercourses.
Mr. Badal said that Rs. 1565 crore Project of Relining of Rajasthan feeder was a flagship project of the State Government that would save 500-cusecs water daily from seepage after its completion within next four years.
He directed the Irrigation department to undertake this entire project as per the norms and specifications of Inter National standards.He also asked the Department to expedite its efforts to restart the work on Banur Canal project along with its nine distributaries at a cost of Rs. 87 crore that would create an additional irrigation potential for more than 3400 hectares of land.On the directions given by the Mr. Badal the Principal Secretary Irrigation Mr. KBS Sidhu assured him to expedite the formalities related to both the project and said that after finalizing all the technical specifications for the Rajasthan Feeder Relining Project in a week, the Detailed Notice for Inviting Tenders (DNIT) would also be completed within a month.
Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Principal Secretary Irrigation Mr. KBS Sidhu, Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. KJS Cheema, Chief Engineer Irrigation Mr. AS Dullet, Chief Engineer Drainage Mr. Vinod Chaudhary, Chief Engineer Shahpur Kandi Dam Construction Mr. Harvinder Singh, besides other senior officers of the Irrigation Department.