Punjab and Rajasthan today agreed to jointly monitor the progress of a project related to relining of Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals for its timely completion.
A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Ram Pratap, who called on the former here today, said an official release.
Flagging issues related to the supply of irrigation water to Rajasthan, Ram Pratap apprised the Chief Minister a major issue was the relining of Rajasthan Feeder (RF) and Sirhind Feeder (SF), which were carrying water to the state from Harike headworks in Punjab and also sought his intervention for supplying clean water to his state through these canals.
Badal in turn informed him that the process of relining of the canals, at a cost of about Rs 200 crore, was in the pipeline and global tenders in this connection have already been floated.
Underscoring the need for regular monitoring of the ambitious project, Badal also mooted a proposal to undertake joint inspection of the relining of RF and SF by Secretary Irrigation of the two states to ensure the completion of project within the stipulated time.
Punjab Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon informed his Rajasthan counterpart that a cross regulator was being constructed on the tail of Sirhind feeder to stop its back flow and assured Ram Pratap that this would be completed within a year thereby meeting a long pending demand of Rajasthan government to check back flow of the feeder.
Pratap said the relining of the RF and SF would go a long way in supplying adequate water to the farmers of Rajasthan without any wastage on account of seepage, which had resulted in the problem of water logging in the south west districts of the Punjab.
He hoped with the relining of these canals the menace of water logging would also eventually come to an end thereby mitigating the enormous hardships faced by the local farmers of the Malwa belt in Rajasthan.
Badal also pointed out that Punjab government was keen on cleaning the rivers of the state, with an aim to supply clean water, for which several initiatives have been taken by them.
