CHANDIGARH, September 1— State initiatives aimed at restoring canal networks have reversed a multi-decade decline in Punjab’s groundwater reserves. Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal stated on Monday that data from the Central Ground Water Board confirms a measurable rise in water levels across multiple districts. Annual extraction figures dropped by over 1.7 billion cubic meters between 2022 and 2026, bringing overall development stages down across 109 individual assessment blocks.
The minister affirmed that expanding canal delivery systems directly reduced excessive tubewell usage during peak agricultural cycles. “This is a major development for Punjab. For decades, groundwater levels had been witnessing a continuous decline. For the first time, we have witnessed it rising,” Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal declared. He maintained that state canals are currently carrying approximately 39,000 cusecs of water, surpassing historical designed capacity levels to ensure tail-end field delivery.
Department figures show significant re-categorization across several vulnerable agricultural belts. Officials declared that regions such as Arniwala Sheikh Subanpur, Makhu, Hajipur, and Narot Jaimal Singh successfully shifted from semi-critical to safe statuses. Department leaders maintained that dedicated recharge projects, alongside enhanced surface water sharing, helped offset historical over-exploitation patterns.
State authorities emphasized that sustainable water management serves both regional farming stability and broader national interests. Minister Goyal asserted that unchecked depletion previously posed severe risks to the agrarian economy. Representatives affirmed that the government under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann will continue expanding canal coverage and artificial recharge infrastructure to maintain positive groundwater trends.
