Badal seeks funds for Sirhind canal renovation

Chandigarh, Apr 18 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sought immediate approval of the Sirhind canal extension, renovation and modernisation project.

Mr Badal who met Union Water Resources Minister Saif-ud-din Soz at New Delhi today pointed out that this is the oldest canal, over 125 years old and has outlived its period. He told the minister, the water intake capacity of the canal has reduced over the years.

Prof Soz assured the chief minister of assistance and asked Mr Badal to send a detailed proposal of the Sirhind canal to him within a week.

Mr Badal also sought immediate implementation of the rehabilitation project of first Patiala Feeder and Kotla Branch involving an estimated cost of Rs 123.80 crore. The project had already been approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC).

Showing concern over the fast depletion of water table, Mr Badal also asked the Ministry of Water Resources to rebuild or repair all the water courses in the state under Command Area Development (CAD) programme as the farmers especially of Southern districts of Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Moga were worst hit by the scarcity of irrigation water due to the heavy deposition of silt in these channels.

He requested the Ministry to amend the guidelines of CAD to provide financial assistance for water courses which were more than 25 years old.

Mr Badal also urged Prof Soz to increase the allocation of funds under Accelerated Irrigation Building Programme (AIBP) as Punjab was agrarian state depending substantially on canal irrigation. He stated that the state had received no allocation in 2006-07 against Rs 24.82 crore in 2005-06 under AIBP.

Prof Soz pointed out that his Ministry had already approved the Shah Nahar and Kandi canal project of Rs 273 crore, with 25 per cent funding from the central government.

The minister also assured that he would soon depute, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources to visit Punjab to assess the feasibility report of different irrigation works to be executed in the state. He appreciated the concern of Mr Badal about the scarcity of ground water and urged him to go for harvesting of rain water and recharge of ground water to maintain the level of water table.

UNI