Desilting of the Ravi river completed: Pb water resources minister Barinder Goyal

Amritsar: Amid allegations of poor desilting of Punjab's streams and canals leading to overflows and damage, the state govt on Monday claimed to have completed desilting of the Ravi river and Sakki Nallah ahead of the monsoon.Water resources minister Barinder Goyal reviewed flood protection works at the Dhussi Bundh near Border Out Post Tota and the Jhabal Canal relining project in Amritsar district on Monday.He said floods during the last monsoon caused 23 breaches in the Ravi river's Dhussi Bundh, which have now been repaired and reinforced with stone pitching. He added that desilting of the river was being carried out on a war footing and would be completed before the monsoon. Cleaning of the Sakki Nallah and other seasonal drains is also underway.Notably, the opposition parties had accused the govt of neglecting the desilting of canals and their repair which, they claimed, had resulted in devastating floods and crop damage.The minister said earlier only 150 cusecs of water used to flow through the canal, but after strengthening and lining the banks, the water carrying capacity will increase to 258 cusecs, ensuring water reaches the tail-end areas. He added that the work to strengthen and line the Jhabal Canal would be completed within 45 days. He said the total length of the canal is 27 km and its width has been increased to 24 feet. Earlier, the canal irrigated only about 5,000 acres of farmland, but after its capacity enhancement, nearly 31,000 acres of agricultural land will receive water through the tail reaches, helping improve the underground water table.Claiming that the state govt was spending Rs 600 crore on flood protection measures, he said the govt was procuring advanced amphibious machines from Finland for preventing floods, strengthening relief infrastructure, and cleaning canals and drains.