Chandigarh, Feb 7—Haryana Government is observing the year 2011 as the ‘Water Conservation Year’ in the State and to achieve this objective, a lake is being built at Bibipur over an area of 500 acres of land at a cost of Rs 120 crore. The storage capacity of Kotla lake in Mewat, Bhindawas in Jhajjar, Ottu lake in Sirsa and Masani Barrage is also being augmented.
This was disclosed by the Finance and Irrigation Minister, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav while addressing the people at Kalayat in district Kaithal after inaugurating a pump house set up at Pundri drain at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore.
He said that the pump house would save the areas of Kalayat from the scourge of floods. The village Kharak Pandava, Ramgarh, Kalayat, Sajuma and Pinjupura would benefit from this pump house. Kalayat area being the lowest in district Kaithal, water of whole of the district accumulated here and played havoc in this area. The level of beds of Pundri drain and Sirsa branch being equal, it was difficult to divert the water of drain into Sirsa branch. Due to excessive water, Pundri drain used to breach at many places and consequently people of the area had to suffer.
Capt. Yadav said that Hansi-Butana canal, constructed at a cost of about Rs 300 crore, would prove a boon to district Kaithal and nearby areas. The opposition parties had always been questioning its utility. The recent flood water did not touch Kalayat area thanks to this canal. The excessive water was diverted into this canal, which not only saved Kalayat area from the scourge of floods but also provided water for irrigation to the Southern areas of the State.
He said that a sum of Rs three crore had been spent on the extension of Shergarh-Guhna link channel, Rs 2.50 crore on the rehabilitation of Kaithal sub minor, Rs seven crore on the lining of Kaithal distributary and Rs 5.25 crore on Shimla minor, Saraswati minor and Kapil Muni minor of Kalayat under various irrigation projects. A sum of Rs 20 crore have been spent on the repair of watercourses in the district and Rs eight crore have also been spent on the repair and desilting of watercourses in district Kaithal alone. Rs seven crore were spent on the maintenance of canals.
The Minister said that the State Government was committed to the holistic development of whole of the State. The budget of the State had been increased from Rs 2200 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 18260 crore. Similarly, the budget for the irrigation department had also been increased from Rs 760 crore to Rs 1533 crore.
Lashing out at the leaders of opposition parties who question the construction of BML Hansi-Butana link canal, the Public Works(Building and Roads) Minister, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the canal had proved its utility during the recent floods. In fact, it was a recharge canal. The depth of this canal being 27 ft. below the ground level, it would check the decreasing water level by replenishing underground water table, he added.