Jaipur, July 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Rajasthan is set to strengthen water security in its desert regions with the completion of a massive artificial lake in Jaisalmer district, designed to store surplus monsoon water from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project.
Developed at the Burji 1356 escape structure under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the reservoir has a circumference of 28 kilometres and is expected to become a key source of drinking water for the desert districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer.
The project aims to conserve surplus canal water that previously flowed towards the international border and into Pakistan during the monsoon due to the absence of adequate storage facilities. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has identified water conservation and self-reliance as key priorities for the state.
Constructed with an average depth of 13 metres and a storage capacity of 1,406 million cubic feet (MCFT), the reservoir has been lined with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets to prevent seepage in the sandy terrain of the Thar Desert and maximise water retention.
The Burji 1356 reservoir is one of four escape reservoirs planned under the Jal Jeevan Mission along the Indira Gandhi Canal system to capture excess water released during periods of heavy flow. Officials said construction of the Burji 1356 reservoir in Jaisalmer and the RD-507 reservoir at Sattasar in Bikaner has been completed, while work on the remaining two projects is progressing.
Once all four reservoirs become operational, they are expected to support 43 major drinking water projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission, benefiting more than 20 lakh families across 6,707 villages in Rajasthan.
The reservoir will also serve as a strategic water reserve during canal maintenance, closures and periods of water scarcity, significantly improving drinking water availability in one of the country’s most water-stressed regions.
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