Chandigarh: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today approved the ‘Punjab Jal Yojana’ to save every drop of water in Punjab. This plan is based on a 14-point action plan. The Chief Minister discussed the technical aspects of this new plan in a meeting on the Joint State Water Plan. The main objective of the plan is to save ground water, increase the use of canal water and make proper arrangements for water storage.
The Chief Minister, expressing concern over the annual average decline of 0.7 meters in ground water level, said that improvement in irrigation techniques is the need of the hour and this objective can be achieved through systematic increase in groundwater recharge. The revival of 63 thousand km of closed tributaries and 79 canals was also a part of the discussion in the meeting.
Under the new scheme, it is aimed to bring about 15,79,379 hectares of land under new water saving irrigation techniques like drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and other purposes. Under the water scheme, there is a plan to put the surplus canal water in ponds near tributaries and canals and the water from these ponds is to be taken to the fields through lift irrigation system. The Chief Minister said that for this, check dams and new tanks will be constructed. He advocated participatory irrigation management by forming water user associations to develop a self-sustaining water eco-system. Canal water is also to be supplied to industries. He said that according to the plan, Punjab will be divided into different zones, which will help regulate water flow, soil erosion and maintain essential elements. The focus will also be on identifying the watershed features and the geography of the related area and also identifying rainfall and water flow data in the low-lying areas.
Research and studies will be done for flood modelling and mapping, flood plain zoning and public participation under this scheme and works like planting of bamboo, vetiver grass, source control, check dams and embankments have also been proposed. The flood water of Ghaggar is to be stored and the choke points/drain points in Ghaggar from where the water flow is high are identified and this water is to be used for agriculture by building check dams.
The Chief Minister said that the area under paddy (parmal) and water-intensive paddy varieties is also part of the scheme to bring it under maize, cotton, basmati and other potential crops under agro-diversification. He said that every drop of water is precious for the state and the Punjab government will use every means to save water. Apart from Cabinet Ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Hardeep Singh Mundian and Tarunpreet Singh Saund, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department Krishan Kumar were also present during the meeting.