DW BUREAU / Chandigarh/Ferozepur

Punjab Water Resources and Soil & Water Conservation Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra, on Tuesday, inaugurated two treated water-based irrigation projects from Sewerage Treatment Plants of Talwandi Bhai and Zira of 4 and 8 MLD capacity, respectively. Both the projects will provide irrigation water to 556 hectares of about 360 farmer households.

Addressing the gathering, S. Chetan Singh Jouramajra reiterated Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government's commitment to provide every possible assistance to state's farming community and that providing irrigation water at farmers' fields is on top of that priority list. Recalling the recent drive to restore canal water-based field channels wherein over 14000 field channels have been restored to supply canal water to agricultural fields, the Cabinet Minister informed that promoting surface water based irrigation facilities to reduce dependence on ground water have received major thrust since last 2 years of

government formation.

He further stated that treated water use for irrigation is also a step in maximizing surface water use as this water, which would have otherwise gone waste into the drains, is now being utilized in agriculture.

The cabinet minister informed that till date 60 treated water use irrigation project from as many STPs utilizing 340 MLD treated water have been commissioned in the state benefiting approximately 11000 hectares of agricultural land and because of government's keen focus on the programme, the treated water use will be scaled upto 600 MLD by the next crop season only, which will benefit more than 25000 hectares of agricultural land.

Chetan Singh Jouramajra informed that the state of Punjab is first in the country to initiate treated water use in an organized manner and that other states have been following suit.
(editor@dailyworld.in)