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Completion of Indira Gandhi canal project delayed by 5 years
Bikaner, June 18: The completion of ambitious Indira Gandhi canal project is likely to be delayed by four to five years due to financial constraints, official sources said today.
Bikaner, June 18: The completion of ambitious Indira Gandhi canal project is likely to be delayed by four to five years due to financial constraints, official sources said today.
The project, considered to be the life line of western
Gujarat, is likely to be completed in the year 2010-2011
instead of scheduled 2006-2007, escalating the total cost of
the project to Rs.5,000 crores, sources told.
Financial constraints were hampering construction work in the canal project for the last three years as the state had been diverting resources to drought and famine relief following repeated failure of monsoon, they said.
The canal project has been divided into two phases. The first phase, which is almost complete, includes 393 km long feeder and main canal from Harike barrage in Punjab to Pungal in Bikaner and its 3454 km long distributory system.
In the second phase, 256 km long main canal from Pungal in Bikaner to Mohgangarh in Jaisalmer is also complete.
While the first phase provide irrigation in 5.53 lakh hectares of land the second phase proposes to irrigate 14.10 lakh hectares of land. A total of 37 lakh tonnes of agricultural production is estimated in the project area.
Besides generating employment potential and increasing living standard of the people in desert area by providing basic infrastructural facilities, the canal project would also be providing drinking water to more than 1.75 crore population in 29 towns and 3461 villages in eight western districts. Bureau Report
Financial constraints were hampering construction work in the canal project for the last three years as the state had been diverting resources to drought and famine relief following repeated failure of monsoon, they said.
The canal project has been divided into two phases. The first phase, which is almost complete, includes 393 km long feeder and main canal from Harike barrage in Punjab to Pungal in Bikaner and its 3454 km long distributory system.
In the second phase, 256 km long main canal from Pungal in Bikaner to Mohgangarh in Jaisalmer is also complete.
While the first phase provide irrigation in 5.53 lakh hectares of land the second phase proposes to irrigate 14.10 lakh hectares of land. A total of 37 lakh tonnes of agricultural production is estimated in the project area.
Besides generating employment potential and increasing living standard of the people in desert area by providing basic infrastructural facilities, the canal project would also be providing drinking water to more than 1.75 crore population in 29 towns and 3461 villages in eight western districts. Bureau Report