Punjab Water Resources Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal today dedicated irrigation projects worth Rs.105.49 crore to the people of Moga district as part of the Punjab Government's efforts to ensure canal water reaches every farm.
The projects primarily include concrete lining of minors and distributaries along with irrigation schemes involving underground pipelines in the Moga, Bagha Purana and Dharamkot Assembly constituencies. Sh. Goyal inaugurated the irrigation projects at Jhandeana village in Moga, Sukhanand and Sahoke villages in Bagha Purana and Noorpur Hakiman village in Dharamkot.
These projects will directly benefit nearly 94 villages in Moga district and bring an additional 20,085 acres under canal irrigation.The Cabinet Minister said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann had envisioned ensuring canal water reaches every farm to conserve the state's precious groundwater resources and due to the concerted efforts of the Punjab Government, the share of canal irrigation in the state has increased from merely 17-18 per cent earlier to 86 per cent now. This will go a long way in conserving groundwater which is Punjab's only natural resource.
Notably, in the Dharamkot Assembly constituency, projects worth Rs.79.56 crore for concrete lining of minors and distributaries along with watercourses and pipelines were launched. The projects involve a total lining length of 175.24 kilometres. These works will directly benefit 79 villages in Dharamkot. The area under irrigation will increase from 24,270 acres to 41,894 acres, bringing an additional 18,174 acres under irrigation.
Giving details of the individual projects, Sh. Goyal said the Rs.52.51-crore concrete lining project of the Kokri Distributary System will increase the irrigated area from 16,450 acres to 26,458 acres, bringing an additional 10,008 acres under irrigation.
The lining work covers a length of 66.32 kilometres and will directly benefit 20 adjoining villages including Talwandi Mallian, Daya Kalan, Kokri Buttran, Bhinder Kalan, Kishanpura, Kapura, Chak Bijasar, Purane Wala, Rauli, Khera Savad, Bughipura, Chugawan, Jalalabad, Fatehgarh Korotana, Mehna, Data, Tatariye Wala, Talwandi Bhangherian, Bhinder Khurd and Dosanjh.
Similarly, the Rs.14.66-crore concrete lining project of the Daulatwah Distributary System will bring an additional 8,974 acres under irrigation. The irrigated area will increase from 6,462 acres to 15,436 acres. The lining covers a length of 38.44 kilometres and will directly benefit 30 adjoining villages including Kaila, Noorpur, Bajeke, Kot Sadar Khan, Musewala, Jafarwala, Behramke, Kishanpura, Masitan, Chirag Shah Wala, Sadiwala, Dharam Singh Wala, Fatehpur Jhuggian, Qadar Wala, Killi Gandharan, Mandar, Muhar, Malluwala, Boghewala, Mundi Jamal, Amargarh Bandian, Shah Abu Bakr, Baghle Wala, Danewala, Maujewala and Killi Naubad.
Providing details of the works related to the construction of watercourses and laying of pipelines, the Water Resources Minister said that these projects will bring an additional 3,892 acres under irrigation. The irrigated area will increase from 1,357 acres to 5,256 acres. The project includes 67.74 kilometres of pipelines and 2.74 kilometres of watercourses.
The project will cost Rs.12.59 crore and benefit 29 villages including Augar, Badduwal, Chugga Kalan, Dharam Singh Wala, Fatehullah Shah, Dharamkot, Fatehgarh Korotana, Fatehgarh Panjtoor, Firoz Wala Bada, Indergarh, Jalalabad, Janetpura, Kadahe Wala, Kaila, Khera Daroli, Killi Gandharan, Lalihandi, Lohgarh, Lohara, Sodhi Wala and Varhe.
In the Moga Assembly constituency, a total of 16 works involving the laying of 92.06 kilometres of underground pipelines and construction of canal watercourses have been completed at a cost of Rs.16.91 crore.The Cabinet Minister said these works have brought an additional 2,696 acres under canal irrigation.
Besides this, irrigation projects involving lining of watercourses and laying of underground pipelines at Sahoke were also dedicated to the people at a cost of Rs.7.13 crore. These projects have brought an additional 1,291 acres under irrigation.
Prominent amongst others who were present included Moga MLA Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, Bagha Purana MLA Amritpal Singh Sukhanand, Dharamkot MLA Davinderjit Singh Ladi Dhos, Additional Deputy Commissioner Jaspinder Singh and officers of various departments.