Sangrur farmers want canals revived, to move High Court

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, July 2

All 10 blocks of Sangrur are in dark zone due to overexploitation of groundwater and things may take worse turn in near future as most sub-minors constructed to supply canal water have been dismantled by farmers and merged with their lands. The lack of required canal water has compelled farmers to increase the use of groundwater through tubewells.

Parminder Singh, a farmer from Kartarpura village, said, “Till around eight years back, a sub-minor had been supplying water to fields, but it has been encroached upon by area farmers. The government must look into the issue.”

During a visit to various villages, The Tribune team spotted many dismantled minors being used as boundaries of their lands by farmers. Farmers alleged that in majority of villages, water table had gone down to around 350 to 500 ft, while earlier it was available at 200 ft. They claimed that the decline started only after the canal water supply started decreasing.

BJP leader Aman Punia said he along with advocate Surjit Singh Randhawa and farmers would file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

He said, “Only 23.48 per cent area is being irrigated through canal water, while the remaining has water supply through tubewells. The Irrigation department must increase canal water supply to district otherwise it would turn into a desert in near future. We have decided to file a PIL in High Court to push government to act.”

Harpinderjit Singh, Executive Engineer, Irrigation, he said they had not received any complaint from farmers about the lack of canal water.

SDO Amritpal Singh said, “We do not have any data about the availability of canal water in Sangrur as it is on division level, which consists of five districts.”