Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal inaugurated a Rs 6.21 crore irrigation project designed to utilise 25 MLD (million litre per day) of treated waste water from the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Basti Peer Daad for irrigating more than 550 hectares of agricultural land across four villages. The inauguration was done on World Environment Day.
The project, developed under the Smart City scheme, is expected to benefit around 600 farmer households. Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh and officials of the district administration were also present.
Addressing a gathering, Seechewal said groundwater resources were depleting at an alarming rate, with 117 out of the state’s 150 blocks covering nearly 80 per cent of its geographical area already falling under the over-exploited category. He stressed the need to develop alternative surface water-based irrigation sources and maximise canal water use to combat the decline in groundwater levels.
He further said as treated waste water is rich in nutrients, it can help reduce the requirement for fertilisers, lower farming input costs and enhance farmers income.
Seechewal said the project would serve as an important step towards sustainable water management and help reduce dependence on groundwater for irrigation.
He also warned that if current levels of water consumption continue, Punjab could face severe water scarcity and desertification over the next 20 to 25 years. He urged farmers to adopt diversified cropping patterns requiring less water and to embrace efficient irrigation techniques to safeguard water resources.
MLA Balkar Singh said the treated water, which would otherwise have been discharged into drains, would now provide year-round irrigation to more than 550 hectares of farmland. He added that the project would also help reduce the state’s electricity subsidy burden by decreasing dependence on tubewells in the command area. He hailed farmers from Safipur, Chamiara, Gill and Gazipur villages for their cooperation in the successful completion of the project.
Manpreet Singh, Divisional Soil Conservation Officer, said approximately 21 km of underground pipeline, comprising 14 inch and 10 inch diameter pipes, had been laid under the project, benefiting 550 hectares of agricultural land of 600 farmer households. Lupinder Kumar, Sub Divisional Soil Conservation Officer, proposed the vote of thanks.
