Punjab’s Minister of Water Resources, Chetan Singh Jauramajra, took stock of the projects in progress, future plans, and water conservation during a meeting with officials of the Beas Management Board (BMB) today. Chairing the meeting at his office in the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Jauramajra reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen the canal irrigation system in the state and ensure a continuous water supply for farmers. The minister was briefed by BMB officials on the arrangements made by the organization, including canal infrastructure, water regulatory measures, and the distribution of shares among neighboring states. Emphasizing the need for proactive steps to be taken before the onset of floods, Jaudhamajra particularly instructed BMB officials to provide timely updates on water releases from dams to facilitate effective preventive measures by the government and farmers. The minister expressed his intention to visit the dams soon to assess the situation firsthand. Jauramajra highlighted that this year, the state government had provided canal water to farmers as per their demand, a first in the state. He informed that there has been a significant increase of approximately 38% in the usage of canal water for irrigation compared to the previous year, and there are plans to further enhance the usage for irrigation this year. Stressing the need to formulate plans to use canal water more extensively to save depleting groundwater, he urged the officials to focus on water conservation initiatives amid decreasing groundwater levels. The meeting also included discussions on water-related issues in other states.
