State to ensure water at canal tail-end in Fazilka, Abohar

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 26

The Punjab government has now started making efforts to supply water at tail end of canals in Abohar, Fazilka areas without taking any help from Rajasthan.

The neighouring state had refused Punjab’s proposal to divert water from Rajasthan canal to Sirhind feeder by reopening a diversion near Bhullar village.

The Punjab Government has even started the work to refill the track, which was dug up to link both canals.

Meanwhile, the CM has now sent Secretary (Irrigation), KS Pannu, to the Harike barrage to take all possible steps to make water available at the tail end of canals in Abohar and Fazilka areas.

Pannu said, “I am at Harike barrage and looking at all options to ensure water to the farmers.”

RK Gupta, Executive Engineer, Irrigation, Muktsar, said, “The water supply has been increased in Sirhind Feeder from Harike barrage. A number of machines have been installed at the barrage to increase the water carrying capacity of this canal. As a result, the present supply of water at RD 156 in Faridkot has touched 3,600 cusecs. Apart from two-three canals, the water supply in all others is normal.”

“The CM has also assured the Rajasthan government that we won’t use a single drop of water from Rajasthan feeder. We will also refill the channel that was dug up to link Rajasthan feeder with Sirhind Feeder,” he added.

The present situation has arisen after the state government failed to clean and de-silt the Sirhind feeder in April this year.

Raj Kumar Chaudhary, CE (North), Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP), said, “The preparation to link both canals without getting permission from the Rajasthan government is illegal. We are camping here until the state refills the channel.”

Irrigation experts are of the view that both the canals have huge water carrying capacity and if there was any breach in the channel it would be hard to plug and a large number of villages will be flooded.

Meanwhile, Pannu yesterday met RK Chaudhary at Harike barrage. The latter was shown the bad condition of headworks, including the gates, and was requested to release their share of Rs 39 crore for repair and desilting Harike headworks and canals emanating from there.

Pannu said Punjab had already released its share of Rs 17 crore for the works.