CONCRETE LINING OF KHANNA DISTRIBUTARY AT A COST OF RS. 82.65 CR: MEET HAYER

* Undertaken on Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s instructions, exercise aims to make canal water reach every farm*

72202 acres of land in Bassi Pathana, Khanna and Samrala constituencies will get adequate water for irrigation

Chandigarh, September 9:

On the instructions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make canal water available for irrigation of every farm in the state, the water resources department is strengthening the canal structure and efforts are on to make canal water available to maximum possible area. To fulfilling the main demand of the farmers of Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana districts, Khanna distributary will be paved at a cost of Rs. 82.65 Cr.

Divulging the details Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that currently 175 cusecs is released in the Khanna distributary covering an area of 72202 acres and there is a plan to increase its capacity to 251.34 cusecs. He further said that the Khanna distributary system originates from Samrala Major of Bhakra main line, the total length of which is 97.48 km. This distributary system connects several villages of district Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana to Sangatpura Minor, Kotla Minor, Bardhal Minor, Lalheri Minor, Birkishan Minor and Naraingarh Minor provide irrigation. This distributary system is very old and is not taking water as per its capacity.

Water Resources Minister said that the demands of the farmers of these constituencies were taken into consideration by Rupinder Singh Happy, MLA from Bassi Pathana, Tarunpreet Singh Saund, MLA from Khanna and Jagtar Singh Dayalpura, MLA from Samrala, based on which the department has taken this decision so that farmers of these constituencies can get maximum irrigation facilities.

Meet Hayer further said that with the approval given by the department, there are plans to pave this entire system with concrete lining in a length of about 97.48 km so that water does not go waste and full water can reach above the rest of the system and tails and the area under canal irrigation can increase. This scheme will benefit the villages of all the three constituencies. The project will cost Rs. 82.65 Cr.