Says, 90% subsidy being provided to farmers for water-efficient systems
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, August 7-
Punjab cabinet Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra, on Wednesday, said that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government is taking bold initiatives to fully meet the demand of canal water for irrigation besides combating water scarcity and boosting sustainable agriculture in the state.
Jouramajra said that to ensure irrigation water reaches tail-end farms, the Soil and Water Conservation department has laid 2,400 km of underground pipelines, which is benefiting 30,282 hectares in the state. This initiative is backed by a 90% subsidy for farmer groups and a 50% subsidy for individual farmers. In a push for water-efficient farming, approximately 6,000 hectares have been brought under drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, with subsidies up to 90%," said the Cabinet Minister.
He said that the Mann government has already restored 15,914 water courses up to the tail end, marking a crucial milestone in the water distribution system. In a remarkable development, water has flowed through 20 canals for the first time in four decades, revitalizing 916 minors and water courses. Some areas are receiving water after a 35-40 year dry spell, breathing new life into long-parched land, he added.