Information and Public Relations Department, Chandigarh, Punjab,January 5: In a bid to provide permanent succor from water-logging and ensureoptimum use of canal water, the relining project of Sirhind feeder andRajasthan feeder would be completed in two years. Punjab has completed therelining work of 17-KM-long section of the Sirhind Feeder at a cost of Rs.80.51crore in districts Sri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot and Ferozepur, and remainingwork of relining on the canal would be taken up during the planned canalclosure from January 18 to February 22, 2021. The total cost of the reliningproject would be Rs.671.478 crore.
Punjab Water Resources Minister Mr. Sukhbinder SinghSarkaria said, while addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan here onTuesday, the relining works of Rajasthan Feeder would also be taken up in twocanal closures, i.e., 2021-22 and 2022-23 with proposed length of 47 KMs and 49KMs in each year at a cost of Rs. 1200 crore. These projects would preventwater seepage which will resolve the waterlogging problem in the south-westerndistricts of the state, besides increasing efficiency of canal irrigation, headded.
Apart from this, the Water Resources department has spentRs.30 crore for cleaning of 7000KMs Distributaries/Minors during 2020 toprovide the water to the tail-end farmers. Drains in the length of 2020 KMs outof total 8136KMs were cleaned at a cost of Rs.26 crore and 48 flood protectionworks were executed at a cost of Rs.24 crore in the year 2020.
To give benefits to the Doaba region, a project ofRehabilitation of Bist Doab Canal system at a cost of Rs.462.57 crore wasapproved and the work is likely to be completed in 2021, said he. The work fordistribution system of Kandi Canal Stage-II (Hoshiarpur to Balachaur) wasexecuted during 2019-20, and now it is 90.53% completed, said the minister,adding that after completion, it would provide the irrigation facilities to29527 hectares area of 218 villages in districts Hoshiarpur and S.B.S. Nagar.
Mr. Sarkaria said that two Lift scheme have been approvedfor Sri Anandpur Sahib at a cost of Rs.24.52 crore to provide irrigationfacilities. Rehabilitation, Renovation and Modernization of Lahore BranchSystem along with allied works at a cost of Rs.327 crore would be executed indistricts Gurdaspur and Amritsar during the F.Y. 2020-21. With theimplementation of this project, approximately 150 villages will be benefitted,the Minister said.
He said that Punjab Government also constitutes Punjab WaterRegulation and Development Authority (PWRDA) for conservation and effectivemanagement of the state's critical water resources.
SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR BETTER IRRIGATION FACILITIES
Mr. Sarkaria said that a project for construction of fieldchannels on Kotla Branch Part-II System at a cost of Rs. 477.19 crore is inprogress and is likely to be completed by 31-03-2022. With the completion ofthis project, an area of 142658 Hectares would be brought under betterirrigation facilities.
A project for Installation and Re-energisation of 72Alternate Deep Tubewells in 6 Blocks of 4 Districts of Punjab at a cost of Rs.30.21 crore, is in progress. The project will be completed by 31-03-2021 and itwould provide assured irrigation to 3600 Hectares on completion, said thatMinister, while adding that the department brought another project forinstallation and energisation of 502 new deep tubewells for irrigation purposein different blocks of Kandi area in districts S.A.S. Nagar, Roopnagar, SBSNagar, Hoshiarpur and Pathankot at a cost of Rs.195.91 crore. The project wouldbe taken up during current financial year and is likely to be completed in twoyears. On completion, this project would provide assured irrigation to 21028Hectares.
60% WORK OF SHAHPURKANDI MAIN DAM COMPLETED
Mr. Sarkaria said that the Water Resources department hascompleted 60% work of Shahpurkandi Main Dam, despite the COVID situation duringthe year of 2020. The project will hopefully start generating power in 2023,said he, while adding that on completion, this project would generate 208MWpower besides letting Ranjit sagar dam to run as a peaking station. It wouldalso provide intensive irrigation facilities in 37,000 hectares in Punjab andJ&K, he added. The work of Power house will be started in January 2021. Thedirect benefit from this project shall be worth Rs.800 crore (Rs. 475 crorefrom power generation of Shahpurkandi and peaking of RSD, Rs. 144 croreadditional power benefit from UBDC and Rs. 228 crore from augmentation ofirrigation in UBDC system), he added.
MINING DEPT TO LAUNCH WEB PORTAL TO ENABLE CONSUMERS TO BUYSAND/GRAVEL ONLINE
For better monitoring of mining activities, Punjab Mines andGeology Minister Mr. Sarkaria said, the department is developing a Web portalwhich will be launched shortly. The portal would enable the consumers to buysand/gravel online from the mining sites of their choice at the notified rateof Rs. 9/CFT. Under ease of doing business initiative, the department has alsomade provisions for online issuance of various permissions like permits forsoil excavation in general as well as for BKO’s, and registration of crushersetc.
The Minister said that Chief Minister Captain AmarinderSingh led state government has formulated Punjab Sand and Gravel Policy, 2018to bring transparency in sand mining sector. Under the policy the stategovernment grants contracts by auction of mining blocks in strategicallyestablished clusters through progressive bidding instead of the earlier processof auction by individual mines.
The department had conducted auction of mining blocks in theMay-June 2019 and had allotted 196 mining sites having annual extractablequantity of 350 Lakh MT in seven Mining Blocks through E-Auction for 3 years,said he, while adding that annual contract value of these contracts is Rs. 306crore and a revenue of Rs.110 crore and Rs.105 crore has been received duringthe year 2019-20 and 2020-21 (up to December 31, 2020) respectively. Rs.80crore is likely to be generated from mining till March this year.
Punjab government has also decided for desilting of riversis to be allotted to the existing contractors of respective mining blocks. Thedrainage wing of Water Resources Department had identified 78 desilting sitesin 6 blocks having 274.22 Lakhs MT desilting mining/mineral, he added.