Punjab bets big on water security with Rs 3,246 crore budget

The North News

Chandigarh, March 26

Punjab’s latest budget charts an ambitious course for water management and agricultural sustainability, Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said today, calling it a strategic roadmap for the state’s future. A key highlight is the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project, with ₹2,604 crore allocated to generate 1,042 MU of hydroelectricity and boost irrigation across 1.55 lakh hectares in the Upper Bari Doab Canal system. The project is set to benefit Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, and Pathankot.

With Punjab’s groundwater extraction at 166% of recharge rates, the state plans 40 deep tubewells in Rupnagar, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali, and Pathankot, along with 167 shallow tubewells near the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers. Irrigation expansion will cover 63,000 hectares, including underground pipelines worth ₹315 crore. Additionally, ₹8,227 crore has been earmarked for surface water projects to extend canal irrigation.

The ₹3,246 crore water resources budget includes ₹723 crore for new projects and ₹1,343 crore to complete ongoing ones. Notable district-specific initiatives include a ₹100 crore underground pipeline network in Sangrur to benefit 20,000 farmers and a waterlogged land reclamation project in Fazilka. The government also plans micro-irrigation subsidies and water harvesting projects for the Kandi region, covering 30,000 hectares.

“This budget reflects our commitment to sustainable water management, ensuring Punjab’s long-term agricultural prosperity,” said Goyal.