SBS Nagar, March 19: Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Thursday inaugurated the ₹214 crore Kathgarh Lift Irrigation Scheme, marking a historic shift in providing canal water to the previously parched high-altitude areas of the Kandi region. The project, established in SBS Nagar district, is designed to deliver assured irrigation to 33 villages that have historically relied on unpredictable rainfall due to their elevated terrain.
The Minister stated that the scheme utilizes advanced pumping technology to lift water from the Bist Doab Canal, distributing it through an extensive 94,000-kilometer pipeline network. Goyal affirmed that the project is being executed in three phases, with the first phase already covering 4,000 acres as of February 2026. He maintained that the initiative would significantly reduce the region’s dependence on depleting groundwater and expensive tube wells.
To ensure sustainability, the government has installed a 650 kW solar plant to power the lift system, minimizing the electricity burden on the state exchequer. The Minister asserted that the project was completed in a mission mode within six months, involving technical collaborations with IIT Roorkee and IIT Ropar. He declared that the irrigation coverage in the Balachaur constituency will expand from 28,205 acres to nearly 40,000 acres upon full completion.
Goyal emphasized that the Bhagwant Mann-led administration has increased overall canal water utilization in Punjab from 22 percent to 78 percent. He noted that the government has spent ₹6,700 crore to strengthen state-wide irrigation infrastructure, fulfilling long-standing guarantees to the farming community. The Minister maintained that these efforts, combined with free healthcare and electricity, reflect a non-discriminatory approach to public welfare.
