The Punjab Pollution Control Board’s (PPCB) public hearing for the environmental clearance of the proposed Malwa Canal project witnessed strong resentment and heated arguments from local farmers and residents at Canal Colony here on Friday.
While the state government pitched the project as a major boost for irrigation and drinking water supply for farmers of Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepur districts, many in the public rejected this narrative, alleging that the proposed canal was nothing but a conduit to dump the polluted water of Buddha Nullah and sewage from major towns into the region.
Speakers at the hearing alleged that the highly polluted water proposed to be channelled through the new canal would be unfit for either irrigation or drinking purposes. Far from being a benefit, they warned, such water would further contaminate the groundwater table in the already stressed region.
Protesting residents pointed out that the two major existing canals flowing through the region — the Rajasthan Feeder Canal and the Sirhind Feeder Canal — were already receiving a heavy load of sewage and industrial effluents. This polluted water, they argued, enters the Beas and Sutlej rivers through Ludhiana’s Buddha Nullah before flowing into both feeder canals, rendering them ecologically degraded due to years of official apathy.
According to the official notice issued for the public hearing, the proposed Malwa Canal would be 141.07 km long. Starting 8.46 km from the Harike Headworks, it would run parallel to the left side of the Rajasthan Feeder Canal and terminate near village Warring Khera in Muktsar district, covering Ferozepur, Faridkot and Muktsar districts. The project aims to bring a Culturable Command Area (CCA) of 86,087 hectares under irrigation.
Dr Pritpal Singh, who opposed the canal, said that in the absence of any clarity or public disclosure of reports on the quality of water flowing in the Beas and Sutlej rivers — and subsequently into the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder canals — there was no question of the public giving an affirmative response to the new canal proposal.
Fearing land acquisition disputes and ecological disruption, the attendees demanded that the government first place in the public domain the water quality reports of both feeder canals before any new project was sanctioned.
PPCB officials and representatives of the Water Resources Department, Chandigarh, noted down the public objections and assured that the proceedings of Friday’s hearing, along with the record of objections, would be forwarded to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for further review.
