Chandigarh, March 18: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced that Punjab has successfully delivered an additional 10,000 cusecs of water to fields—an amount equivalent to the capacity of the Bhakra Canal. Speaking at a press conference in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister affirmed that canal irrigation coverage has surged from a mere 26.50% in 2022 to a record 78% today. He maintained that this transformation was achieved by reviving abandoned seasonal rivers and a collapsing canal network that had been neglected for decades.
The Chief Minister declared that the state has invested ₹6,700 crore since April 2022 for canal lining, modernization, and infrastructure strengthening, marking the highest such expenditure in Punjab’s history. He asserted that the government has restored nearly 13,000 km of canals and over 18,000 watercourses, ensuring that even tail-end agricultural fields now receive their rightful share of water. Mann specifically highlighted the revival of the 22-km-long Sarhali Minor canal in Tarn Taran, which he maintained had virtually “vanished” under previous administrations before being rediscovered and made operational by his government.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann further stated that for the first time since Independence, 1,446 villages are now receiving irrigation water through the revived Kandi Canal and other expanded networks. He affirmed that the traditional rotational system has been ended, ensuring farmers have access to water every day rather than waiting for their turn. The Chief Minister declared that these efforts have significantly reduced the state’s dependence on groundwater, citing a village in Gurdaspur where extraction dropped from 61% to 31%.
Concluding the briefing, the Chief Minister asserted that the completion of the Shahpur Kandi Dam project, pending for 25 years, will further enhance efficiency and prevent water from flowing into Pakistan. He maintained that the government is guided by the spiritual ethos of preserving natural resources for future generations. Mann affirmed that beyond irrigation, the department is also being developed as a revenue-generating tourism model, with 26 sites already being promoted for boating and rest house facilities.
