Now Reading: Punjab Claims Groundwater Recovery After Canal Revival Drive
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Punjab Claims Groundwater Recovery After Canal Revival Drive
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the State has begun reversing decades of groundwater depletion through canal revival, watercourse restoration and recharge projects. The Hindu reported that 16,000 kilometres of watercourses…
The Story in Brief
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the State has begun reversing decades of groundwater depletion through canal revival, watercourse restoration and recharge projects. The Hindu reported that 16,000 kilometres of watercourses have been laid or revived, while about 39,049 cusecs of canal water is being released. Cheema said groundwater levels have risen by 3 to 5 metres in several blocks.
The minister also claimed wheat and paddy yields have increased by 1 to 2 quintals per acre, while canal irrigation has reduced pressure on electricity use and tubewells. The government has made rainwater recharge wells mandatory for new building plans in several cities. It has approved 510 recharge schemes, including 192 pond-based and 246 canal-based projects.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narrative is that one irrigation push has solved Punjab’s groundwater crisis. That is too sweeping. These figures come from the Finance Minister and need independent checks across blocks and seasons. A rise in selected locations does not prove statewide recovery, especially where paddy still drives extraction. The useful test is whether official groundwater monitoring shows sustained improvement over several years, alongside a fall in annual tubewell withdrawals.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
