Punjab Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Thursday reviewed the ongoing relining work of the Rajasthan Feeder Canal and directed officials to ensure timely completion of the project. The Cabinet Minister said the canal passes through several villages and towns of Punjab and its lining had deteriorated considerably due to its nearly six-decade-old structure.
He said repeated breaches in the common bank of the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder canals in the past had posed a constant threat to adjoining areas. Keeping in view the need to avert such damage, the relining work is being undertaken.
He further informed that the reconstruction work of the Sirhind Feeder Canal has already been completed at a cost of Rs.800 crore and once the relining of the Rajasthan Feeder Canal is finished, adjoining villages and urban areas along both canals will be safeguarded against possible loss of life and property. He added that the project will also ensure improved supply of canal water to agricultural fields.
Barinder Kumar Goyal said that taking into account the demand raised by social organisations and local farmers of Faridkot, a 12.50-km stretch of the Rajasthan Feeder near Faridkot city, is being lined with bricks instead of concrete to facilitate groundwater recharge. He said that after completion of the relining work, the canal will operate at its full designed capacity and Rajasthan will receive water strictly as per its allocated share.
He added that apart from strengthening the irrigation network, the project will also play a vital role in public safety and groundwater conservation. The Cabinet Minister stated that relining work of 80 kilometres of the Rajasthan Feeder Canal had already been successfully completed by 2023 while the remaining portion could not be taken up due to non-availability of canal closure.
During the 2026 canal closure period, the remaining 16.62-km stretch is now being relined on a war footing at an estimated cost of nearly Rs.170 crore. He further said that the Punjab Government has spent nearly Rs.6700 crore on groundwater conservation initiatives, due to which the use of canal water for irrigation has increased from 26 percent to 78 percent.
He added that canal water has now reached even tail-end agricultural fields and today farmers across Punjab are irrigating their land with canal water. Faridkot MLA Gurditt Singh Sekhon thanked Barinder Kumar Goyal and the Punjab Government for sanctioning such a major project for Faridkot.
He said that on his request the government approved brick lining instead of concrete lining in the canal bed. He added that relining of these canals will provide a permanent solution to the problem of waterlogging in the region.
Prominent amongst others who were present included Chairman Market Committee Faridkot Amandeep Singh Baba, SDM Faridkot Puneet Sharma, Chief Engineer Canals Sher Singh, Superintending Engineer Ferozepur Canals Sandeep Goyal, XEN Ramanpreet Singh Mann.