Farmers Must Not Face Water Shortages During Rabi Season- Shruti Choudhry

Strengthen Monitoring and Public Participation to Prevent Canal Water Theft, says Irrigation Minister

Chandigarh,

Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Smt. Shruti Choudhry has directed officers to ensure adequate irrigation arrangements across the state during the ongoing Rabi season so that crop sowing is not affected. She said that despite limited water availability in the state, the government was committed to ensuring that farmers in every region received their rightful share of water. To achieve this, the water distribution system was being reviewed and canal water supplies were being continuously monitored.

The Minister was chairing a review meeting on water supply here on Wednesday. The meeting discussed in detail flood control measures, clearances related to the Forest Department, land demarcation and issues concerning the availability of pumps. Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, was also present. 

Smt. Shruti Choudhry directed officers to examine old records relating to water allocation and assess the prescribed norms. She said these should also be reviewed periodically in accordance with water availability, the area under irrigation and farmers’ requirements.She stressed the need to raise public awareness to prevent canal water theft and encourage greater public participation in the campaign. The Irrigation Minister said development works should not remain unnecessarily delayed due to pending forest-related clearances. She directed officials to strengthen coordination with the departments concerned and ensure the early disposal of pending cases.

Similarly, necessary steps should be taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply for the smooth operation of irrigation projects and pumping systems. Regarding the availability of pumps in the Yamuna Water Services (YWS) Circle, the Minister directed officials to assess the actual requirement and expedite the processes relating to their procurement, repair or availability so that farmers did not face any difficulty in obtaining water for irrigation.