Chandigarh, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed a resolution commending the Bhagwant Singh Mann government’s efforts to restore canals and watercourses, with Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal saying canal irrigation had been extended to tail-end fields, sand dunes and elevated hilly areas across the state.
Moving the government’s case during the discussion on a resolution introduced by MLA Davinderjit Singh Laadi Dhos, Goyal said the restoration drive was aimed at reducing Punjab’s dependence on groundwater and securing the long-term future of agriculture.
He said Punjab’s extensive use of groundwater had played a crucial role in ensuring the country’s food security, but prolonged extraction had placed the state’s water resources under severe stress. The government had therefore adopted a strategy to expand canal irrigation and make water available to farmers across the state.
According to Goyal, around 19,316 watercourses have been restored as part of the initiative. He said several of these channels had disappeared physically despite continuing to exist in government records, and were restored with the cooperation of local residents.
A key policy change came in 2023, when the government waived the earlier requirement for farmers to contribute 10 per cent of the cost of watercourses and underground pipelines. The state government thereafter undertook to bear the entire cost, removing a major financial hurdle that had delayed several projects.
Citing the Sarhali Distributary, Goyal said a nearly six-kilometre-long minor that had been buried underground and virtually disappeared had been restored. It now supplies irrigation water to Naorangabad, Kairo, Baniwala, Jamalpur, Mianwind, Asal Uttar, Bhore Kona, Sarhali and Nushahra Pannuan, covering around 4,737 acres.
The government has also increased the carrying capacity of existing canals, including the Sirhind Feeder and Ferozepur Feeder, through widening and deepening rather than relying only on new canal construction. Goyal said the state’s canal system now had a capacity of around 36,000 cusecs, while water flow had touched nearly 39,000 cusecs in stretches operating close to full supply level.
He said canal water had reached 1,687 locations for the first time, adding that he had personally visited around 45 Assembly constituencies where previously deprived areas had received canal irrigation.
The minister said the development had triggered celebrations in several villages, with residents beating drums, performing bhangra and, in some places, entering the newly supplied water channels to express their happiness.
Efforts have also been extended to difficult terrain. Goyal said a Rs 135-crore lift irrigation project in Kathgarh was completed to lift water to areas around 70 feet above the surrounding level, benefiting approximately 11,737 acres.
In the Qadian area, the Riarki Distributary was strengthened at a cost of Rs 30.50 crore, with its capacity increased from 216 cusecs to 385 cusecs and around 5.5 km of concrete lining undertaken. The project has extended irrigation benefits to nearly 43,000 acres, with representatives of around 30 villages expressing appreciation after canal water reached their fields for the first time.
Goyal also linked the expansion of canal irrigation with signs of improvement in Punjab’s groundwater position. Citing a Central Ground Water Board report, he said 74 of the state’s 153 groundwater assessment blocks, or around 48 per cent, had shown improvement. Five blocks had moved from higher groundwater-stress categories to relatively better categories, he added.
On the issue of water sharing, Goyal said Punjab had made major sacrifices for the country’s food security and would safeguard its rightful share of water. He said the state had nevertheless responded to Haryana’s request during an urgent situation, supplying 4,000 cusecs from its own share for drinking water, livestock and thermal power requirements.
The minister said canal restoration, underground pipelines and concrete lining had strengthened Punjab’s irrigation infrastructure and urged people to conserve water and avoid wastage.
He credited Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann with taking up the challenge of reviving canal irrigation and said reaching tail-end fields, sand dunes and elevated areas was important for protecting Punjab’s groundwater and agricultural future.
Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains and MLAs Lakhbir Singh Rai, Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, Narinderpal Singh Sawna, Manjinder Singh Lalpura, Manwinder Singh Giaspura and Naresh Kataria also participated in the discussion on the resolution.
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