CHANDIGARH / KHANNA — Punjab Cabinet Ministers Barinder Kumar Goyal and Tarunpreet Singh Sond jointly launched key irrigation initiatives valued at Rs 70.52 crore at Bhattian village in the Khanna assembly segment. The newly inaugurated projects expand surface water coverage across more than 37,000 acres, ensuring sustainable water access for local agricultural communities.
The infrastructure developments include concrete lining and the installation of underground distribution networks to optimize water delivery and minimize transit losses.
“Around Rs 50.02 crore was spent on concrete lining across 68.32 km of canals, including the Khanna Rajwaha, Beed Kishan, Lalheri, Bardhal, Kotla, and Narayangarh minors,” Barinder Kumar Goyal stated. “An additional Rs 20.50 crore was spent laying 23.40 km of underground pipelines.”
The Water Resources Minister added that the area irrigated by canal water in Khanna has expanded significantly from 21,506 acres in 2022 to 42,079 acres. He maintained that the state government has invested Rs 7,572 crore to modernize Punjab’s canal infrastructure, elevating overall surface water utilization in fields from 26 percent in 2022 to 86 percent today.
Highlighting the environmental impact, Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond noted that prioritizing canal supply has mitigated heavy reliance on underground aquifers.
“Under previous governments, several areas had turned into ‘dark zones’ due to depletion of groundwater,” Tarunpreet Singh Sond asserted. “Under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, prioritizing canal water has drastically reduced groundwater dependence and saved electricity.”
Tarunpreet Singh Sond affirmed that farmers in the region now receive eight hours of continuous daytime power supply for tubewells, alleviating the burden of night irrigation.
