Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced to explore the feasibility to replicate Telangana model for the conservation of precious natural resource and recharging the water table in the state.
The CM, who along with the officers of the Irrigation department, analysed the Telangana model of water conservation, said it is a revolutionary model that is aimed at recharging the water table holistically.
He said the Telangana government has constructed small dams in the villages for conserving the ground water across the state. Mann said that as a result of this the ground water level has increased up to two metres in the villages.
The CM said the need of the hour is to channelise canal water in Punjab for saving the ground water for the coming generations. He said that the sole motive of examining this model is to check the depletion of ground water level for the sake of future generations.
Mann also took an insightful view of new techniques about saving rapidly decreasing groundwater during his visit to dams and lauded this new and unique way to save the water on one hand and to increase the level of ground water on the other.
The CM said Telangana has transformed its entire irrigation system by raising the groundwater level with the help of this multi-pronged strategy. He said that the efforts include restoration of Minor Irrigation Tanks (MIT), linking of other major and medium projects with MI tanks and construction of artificial recharge structures such as check dams, percolation tanks, recharge shafts and others.
Mann said precious groundwater resources must be optimally used for the welfare and prosperity of our farmers adding that the viability of this system will be explored in the state in consultation with experts of Telangana.
The CM said due to over exploitation of the groundwater in Punjab, the water table is swiftly depleting across Punjab. He said more than 78 per cent of our 150 blocks are in extreme dark zones due to depletion of the groundwater table. Mann, however, expressed hope that through such revolutionary methods Punjab will be able to recharge its groundwater very soon.