Bathinda: Nearly two years after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann inspected the site for the proposed Malwa Canal in Ferozepur, Faridkot, and Muktsar districts, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) is now conducting public hearings to gather suggestions or objections. This step is necessary for the project proponent to obtain environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Public Hearing Schedule
The public hearings are scheduled as follows: June 19 in Faridkot, June 22 in Muktsar, and June 23 in Ferozepur.
Legal Requirements
Since the project falls under the EIA notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on September 14, 2006, it must secure environmental clearance from the SEIAA. The project proponent prepared a draft EIA study report based on the terms of reference from the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), Punjab, and submitted it to the deputy commissioners of the three districts, the chairmen of the zila parishad, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the PPCB.
Project Details
The proposed canal will originate at 8.46 km of the Harike headworks and run along the left side of the Rajasthan Feeder. It will span 141 km and cover a cultivable command area of 86,087 hectares.
Environmental Concerns
Jaskirat Singh from the Public Action Committee (PAC), a pro-environment organization, along with Roman Brar, stated that the state government should clarify the source of 2,000 cusecs of water for the proposed Malwa Canal. They expressed concerns that a significant portion of the water might be diverted from the highly polluted Budda Darya, which could carry contaminated water into the new canal.
Government's Stance
During a site inspection at Doda village in Muktsar district on July 27, 2024, CM Mann announced that the canal would be built soon to address the shortage of surface water for irrigation. The state government noted that villages at the tail ends of the Sirhind Feeder canal, which runs parallel to the Rajasthan Feeder, were not receiving adequate canal water, necessitating the new canal. Once completed, the canal is expected to meet the demands of these tail-end villages.
In a public meeting at Doda, Mann highlighted that this is the first new canal constructed since Independence, as no previous government had considered providing sufficient canal water to farmers.
