Bathinda: Concerns over water pollution and large-scale felling of trees dominated the first public hearing on the proposed Malwa Canal project on Friday, as farmers and environmentalists questioned officials over its environmental impact. In a symbolic protest, farmers even brought contaminated water allegedly supplied through the Sirhind Feeder Canal and asked officials to drink it, highlighting the poor water quality in the region.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) held the first of the three public hearings for raising suggestions and objections, if any, for the project proponent to obtain environmental clearance from state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) for environmental impact assessment (EIA). The second hearing will be held at Muktsar on June 22 and third at Ferozepur on June 23. The proposed canal will originate at the 8.46-km point of the Harike headworks and run along the left side of the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder. Spanning 141 km, it will irrigate a cultivable command area of 86,087 hectares.
Water source concerns
Roman Brar from pro-environment organisation Sanjha Zira Morcha said the state govt should clarify about the source of 2,000 cusec water for the proposed canal. It is being reported that a considerable part of water in the proposed canal will be diverted from Buddha Dariya, which is highly polluted and if it is so, it may carry contaminated water to the proposed canal.
Government's plan
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann, during a visit to Doda village in Muktsar on July 27, 2024, had announced the construction of the Malwa Canal to address the shortage of irrigation water in tail-end villages along the Sirhind Feeder.
Over 300 lift pumps currently draw water from the Sirhind Feeder to irrigate areas originally served by the Sirhind Canal system fed from Ropar Head Works. The arrangement has led to water shortages in Abohar and Fazilka, prompting the govt to propose the Malwa Canal as a long-term irrigation solution.
