Punjab CM seeks special central package to strengthen canal system in state

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to allocate special funds for rejuvenation of the canal system in the state.

The chief minister, who called on Shekhawat at his office here, underlined the need for a special package to strengthen and repair the existing canal system in the state, according to a statement issued by the Punjab government.

He said the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) that was constructed during the pre-independence era is in dire straits now due to which farmers are facing a lot of problems.

Mann apprised the Union Minister that even the canals constructed after the independence needs to be strengthened and upgraded for which the Union government must allocate special package to the state, the statement said.

The chief minister said it is the need of hour as the food growers of the state, who have played a key role in making country self-reliant in food production, have to face lot of problems due to dilapidated canal system.

He sought the Union minister's intervention for clearing proposals submitted by the state government in this regard, it said.

Mann said it will help in enhancing the water carrying capacity of canals and benefit the farmers of the state.

The chief minister also apprised the Union minister that the state government has started an ambitious project of cleaning of Buddha Nullah, a seasonal tributary of Sutlej river, which runs almost parallel to it through Ludhiana district and ultimately merges with the river again, according to the statement.

He said the total length of nullah for its entire stretch is 47.55 km out of which 14 Km passes through Ludhiana city and bisects it into two parts.

Mann said the state government has embarked on a project worth Rs 850 crore for cleaning this nullah which includes construction of new STPs and CETPs besides upgradation of existing ones, it said.

The chief minister said the state government is also releasing 200 cusecs of fresh water in Buddha Nullah. He informed the Union minister that 54 per cent of this project has been completed and the rest will be accomplished by March 2023.

Mann urged the Union government to help the state government in this project by introducing new technologies.