Punjab government invests over Rs. 5640 crore in irrigation, canal lining, groundwater recharge, and pipelines to ensure water for farmers in 2025.
Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal announced that 2025 would be a pivotal year for the state’s water management and irrigation expansion through consistent public funding and field-driven implementation. He claimed that in order to meet both current and future demands, the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, took a farmer-centric policy that prioritized groundwater recharging, tail-end supply, and canal efficiency. The Water Resources Department ensured equal water availability across areas, especially in waterlogged and drought-prone belts, by revitalizing long-neglected infrastructure and making record financial investments.
According to the Cabinet Minister, development projects of more than Rs. 5640 crore were carried out between FY 2022–2023 and FY 2025–2026. Over Rs. 878 crore worth of projects were finished in FY 2022–2023, followed by Rs. 1251 crore in FY 2023–2024, Rs. 1786 crore in FY 2024–2025, and Rs. 1725 crore set aside for FY 2025–2026. In order to provide tail-end farmers with a dependable canal water supply, these projects involved lining and repairing canals and watercourses. Over the past three years, around 2600 km of canal lining have been finished, with over 960 km completed in FY 2024–2025 alone. In order to improve last-mile irrigation, particular attention was paid this year to pipeline and brick-lined watercourses.
According to Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal, the Department relined the Sirhind Feeder at an approximate cost of Rs. 774.80 crore in order to address persistent waterlogging and seepage. Under this project, relining work has been finished on around 100 km. “For the first time after Independence, the carrying capacity of major canals including Sirhind Canal and Patiala Feeder has been enhanced, ensuring better discharge control and improved irrigation reach across command areas” , explicitly stated the Cabinet Minister.
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According to Goyal, 18349 watercourses covering more than 6,900 km that had been damaged or abandoned for 20 to 30 years were revived through a nationwide watercourse rehabilitation initiative. Consequently, more than 1300 areas—including more than 400 locations in FY 2024–2025—received canal water for irrigation for the first time. According to him, a stringent government regulation that prohibited watercourse repairs before 25 years was lifted. In light of this ruling, MGNREGA and state funding were used to prioritize repair projects. More than 1277 watercourses with a total length of more than 900 km have been restored or repaired in the past two years.
According to the Water Resources Minister, in order to provide last-mile connectivity, approximately 3445 km of pipelines and brick-lined watercourses totaling around Rs. 870 crore are being built in FY 2025–2026.
According to him, the Pathankot district is building three new canals to supply surface water to the region for the first time. About 900 check dams have been built on choes and rivulets for groundwater recharge, 189 canal recharge sites have been finished, and 60 new recharge schemes are being implemented. In addition, 66 old ponds are being connected to canal systems, while 127 new ponds are being excavated and connected with canals. In an effort to improve aquifer replenishment, more than 3200 soak pits have also been proposed for development.