: Thursday, March 19, 2026 9:19 PM
Chandigarh. Punjab Water Resources and Land and Water Conservation Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal today said that the Bhagwant Singh Mann led government is fulfilling its promises in every field and all the guarantees are being fulfilled without any discrimination. He said that in the long neglected Kandi area, the Mann government has made major achievements in the field of irrigation and transformed the semi-hilly terrain into cultivable opportunities. For the first time, the government has transported canal water to higher areas through the Kathgarh Lift Irrigation Scheme, prepared at a cost of Rs 214 crore. Emphasizing the farmer-friendly policies of the Aam Aadmi Party government, he said that this project will lead to better use of water, large-scale infrastructure investment and will strengthen the visionary thinking of providing relief to farmers and improving their economic condition. Under this historic step, Barinder Kumar Goyal today inaugurated the Kathgarh Lift Irrigation Scheme prepared at a cost of Rs 214 crore. Through this scheme, for the first time, canal water has been successfully transported to the higher areas, which will provide irrigation facilities to the dry and rain-dependent lands of the Kandi region.
He said that this project will provide irrigation facilities to 11,500 acres of land in about 33 villages, which will increase agricultural production and increase the income of farmers. This initiative will prove to be a milestone in changing the agricultural landscape of the region and will help farmers grow better crops as well as increase the value of land.
Addressing the public meeting after the inauguration, Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said, “Kathgarh Lift Irrigation Scheme is a historic effort to provide irrigation facilities to areas deprived of irrigation due to altitude, through the Kandi Canal System and Bist-Doab system. This project will greatly benefit the area and will also reduce the pressure on ground water.”
He further informed that this project will be completed in three phases. The first phase, costing Rs 67 crore, has been completed in February 2026, covering an area of 4,000 acres in 13 villages. The second phase, costing Rs 107 crore, is likely to be completed by September 2026, covering an area of 5,500 acres of 14 villages, while the third phase, costing Rs 40 crore, will provide irrigation facilities to 2,000 acres of area of 6 villages. Along with this, a 650 kilowatt solar plant has also been installed to reduce the electricity burden.
Throwing light on the technical aspects, the Minister said that the scheme has been linked to the Bist-Doab Canal, which has a water carrying capacity of 67 cusecs. Under this, water will be lifted through pumps and transported through a wide pipeline network in high-lying and semi-hilly areas. The existing land of the department was used for the pump house, thereby eliminating the need for land acquisition.
Highlighting the importance of this project, the Minister said that due to decline in groundwater level and closure of tube wells, farmers of the Kandi region had become dependent on rain, which limited crop diversity and production. Due to the semi-hilly terrain, traditional canal system was not possible earlier, due to which land prices were also low. Modern satellite and drone surveys were conducted to design the project and technical staff were trained at IIT Roorkee and IIT Ropar, after which it was implemented on war footing within six months.
He further informed that before this project, irrigation facility was available on 28,205 acres of land in 72 villages of Balachaur region, which will now increase to 39,705 acres of land in 105 villages. About 94,000 kilometers of pipelines have been laid to deliver water to the fields.
Reiterating the commitment of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government, the Minister said the state has so far spent Rs 6700 crore to strengthen the irrigation infrastructure and ensure uninterrupted canal water supply. Earlier only 22 percent water was used, now it has increased to 78 percent. Strengthening of canals has led to improvement in ground water level, reduction in electricity consumption and increase in soil fertility.
Giving information about Kandi Canal, he said that this canal goes from Talwara to Balachaur, whose total length is 129.035 kilometers and water carrying capacity is 463 cusecs. Despite starting in 1980, earlier the water did not reach the last mile. The government ensured continuous flow of water, repaired 1500 km of old pipelines, laid 300 km of new pipelines and re-lined 120 km of canals and ditches, benefiting 1,28,740 acres of land in 12 blocks after three decades.
Highlighting the public-welfare initiatives, the Minister said the government is providing free and quality health services with insurance cover up to Rs 10 lakh and 600 units of free electricity to households. All the promises made to the people are being fulfilled without any discrimination.
On this occasion, many dignitaries including Banga MLA Dr. Sukhwinder Sukhkhi, Balachaur MLA Santosh Kataria, Deputy Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh, Additional Deputy Commissioner Balbir Raj Singh were present.
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Web Title-Kathgarh Lift Irrigation Scheme, Built at a Cost of ₹214 Crore, to Benefit 33 Villages and 11,500 Acres: Barinder Kumar Goyal