CHANDIGARH : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has said the state government’s canal irrigation programme is reshaping agricultural water management, with canal-water utilisation rising from 22% in 2022 to more than 80% currently. Addressing the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mann said around 14,000 kilometres of underground pipelines had been laid to carry canal water to agricultural fields, while another 6,000 kilometres were planned to extend the network to areas that had waited decades for reliable irrigation. He described canal water as “desi ghee for Punjab’s crops”, arguing that greater access to surface water could reduce farmers’ dependence on groundwater, support crop productivity and help protect the state’s long-term water security. According to Mann, around 18,000 cusecs of canal water is now reaching fields, while farmers in some areas have reported better irrigation access after the expansion of the distribution network. He also cited a four-metre rise in the groundwater table, attributing the improvement to the government’s efforts to expand canal irrigation. The figure, he said, indicated that areas affected by excessive groundwater extraction could move towards safer levels, although the extent and sustainability of any recovery would need to be assessed through official groundwater monitoring data. Mann said the programme was intended to ease the pressure on borewells, which farmers have increasingly relied on as groundwater levels declined over the years. He argued that farmers should not have to keep drilling deeper to secure water for their crops when canal supplies could provide a more sustainable alternative. The Chief Minister also pointed to reports of paddy yields approaching 90 maunds per acre in areas receiving canal water this season, presenting the figures as an encouraging sign of improved irrigation. Crop yields, however, can vary according to location, weather, seed variety and farming practices, making systematic crop-wise assessment important before drawing wider conclusions about the programme’s impact. Mann said some villages had begun receiving canal water after decades without reliable supplies, describing the change as significant for farmers whose agricultural operations had depended heavily on groundwater. He added that the next phase would focus on laying an additional 6,000 kilometres of pipelines, particularly in areas where canal water had remained difficult to access. The government’s stated objective is to move towards full utilisation of available canal water and make irrigation more dependable across Punjab’s agricultural belt. The initiative also addresses a wider challenge facing the state: how to sustain agricultural production while reducing pressure on groundwater reserves. Punjab has long played a major role in India’s foodgrain production, but intensive irrigation and reliance on tube wells have contributed to concerns about groundwater depletion in several areas. Expanding canal irrigation could help diversify water sources, provided supplies are reliable, distribution is equitable and infrastructure is maintained effectively. Mann said the government would continue investing in canal infrastructure and pipeline-based distribution, presenting water conservation as an investment in farmers’ livelihoods and the future of coming generations. The programme’s long-term success will depend on whether the planned network reaches underserved fields, whether canal supplies remain dependable during peak demand and whether groundwater trends show sustained improvement across the state.