DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday exhorted the farmers to make maximum use of surface water during ensuing paddy season to save the ground water.

The Chief Minister, while chairing a meeting of Water resources department here today, said that the state government is fully geared to supply canal water from forthcoming paddy season. He said that from June 11 the canal water will be supplied to farmers uninterruptedly as the work of de-silting the canals have already been accomplished.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that canal water will be supplied in districts of Sri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot, Mansa, Bathinda, Fazilka, Ferozepur and areas beyond fence at international border from June 11 and in Moga, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, SAS Nagar, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot from June 15.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab is on the threshold of setting a new record for supplying canal water for the irrigational needs adding that for the first time the state government has set up a dedicated control room for enquiries regarding supply of canal water.

He said that if anyone desires to get any information regarding the supply of canal water that person can call on +91 96461 51466 for getting the details. Bhagwant Singh Mann expressed hope that the farmers will duly utilise the canal water for irrigating the paddy fields and play a major role in saving the ground water.

The Chief Minister also said that in order to avert floods in the state the Punjab government has taken historic initiatives including designing the discharge of Choes/Torrents/Rivers as per 100 years flood discharge and accordingly notifying the flood plains of the Rivers and drains/choes under The Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, Strengthening of main Embankments of rivers and Restriction of works on advance bundh.

He said that for emergency response system data base of people such as bag suppliers, wire binders, earth moving equipment's, tractor trolley owners, divers and local volunteers has been compiled and empty cement bags and filled bags are being planned to be stored at strategic locations for emergent use.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Bamboo plantations are being carried out on inner slopes of rivers and Obstruction caused by NHAI, B&R and Mandi Board to the sheet flow of the flood waters have been identified and are being removed.
(editor@dailyworld.in)