Warring casts doubt on the viability of the Malwa canal project
Chandigarh: Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the head of the Punjab Congress, questioned the viability of the Malwa canal project on Monday. The project was proposed by the A government to be built to meet the southern half of the state’s irrigation demands.
According to Warring, the Malwa Canal had been surveyed by earlier administrations, but they concluded that construction was not technically possible.
The 150-kilometer Malwa canal is being built, and according to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, it would provide irrigation for around two lakh acres in the southern region of the state.
Additionally, he had stated that the ₹2,300 crore project will bring in a new age of wealth and advancement for the state, particularly for the Malwa area.
Before beginning this canal project, according to Warring, a conversation on the technical, social, economic, and environmental aspects is necessary.
Canals cannot be constructed without careful consideration of these variables, he claimed.
The MP from Ludhiana also voiced worries about the effects on the environment, especially the deforestation, and the practical difficulties in distributing water.
He expressed reservations about the project’s technical viability and the possibility of supplying water to 22 blocks.
“The entire area where claims are being made for the construction of this canal has huge forest cover and for it, trees will have to be cut in order to go ahead with the project,” he stated.
Warring said he would want to question Chief Minister Mann whether the state government had cash for developing the project in the “absence” of the essential funding.
Warring asserted that because of the variations in ground height in various locations, it will be extremely challenging to provide water to all 22 blocks.
He noted that because the canal would begin at the lower level of the Harike barrage, the government will need to raise water levels to guarantee that water flows into the canal.
He stated that water will need to be raised once again near Gidderbaha.
Thus, it is obvious that this canal is not physically feasible, according to Warring.
