Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday described the reconstruction and relining of the Ferozepur Feeder Canal as a landmark intervention for the state’s agrarian economy, inaugurating the first phase of the project at Makhu in Ferozepur district.

Calling the canal the lifeline of the Malwa region, the Chief Minister said the initiative would significantly benefit farmers across Ferozepur, Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka districts by strengthening irrigation infrastructure and ensuring deeper penetration of canal water into agricultural fields.

The ₹180-crore project has enhanced the canal’s carrying capacity from 11,192 cusecs to 13,873 cusecs — an increase of 2,681 cusecs. Mann said that for 74 years since the canal’s construction in 1952, successive governments neither augmented its capacity nor undertook concrete lining, resulting in structural deterioration and reduced discharge, particularly during the Kharif season.

“When we assumed office, canal water was reaching only 21 per cent of Punjab’s fields. Today, it is reaching 68 per cent, and we are working to take it up to 85 per cent by the coming paddy season,” he said, attributing the expansion to large-scale rejuvenation of the canal network. According to him, the state has spent ₹6,500 crore on strengthening canals, with 6,900 km of water channels and 18,349 watercourses revived, extending supply to tail-end villages. He added that 1,365 villages have received canal water for the first time.

The Chief Minister said 15 km of canal lining was completed within 35 days in what he termed “war mode”, with 126 government employees and around 4,000 workers deployed. The canal’s depth has been increased from 18 feet to 21 feet and its width from 163 feet to 180 feet.

Originating from the Harike Headworks, the Ferozepur Feeder provides irrigation to 14 blocks, including Gidderbaha, Makhu, Mamdot, Balluana, Jalalabad, Guru Har Sahai, Arniwala, Khuiyan Sarwar, Lambi, Malout, Fazilka, Muktsar and Ferozepur. With the relining, irrigation water will now cover 6,45,200 hectares, including border areas adjoining the international boundary, particularly Fazilka and Jalalabad.

Mann also referred to pollution concerns in border villages, noting that contaminated water discharged into the Sutlej near Kasur in Pakistan often re-enters Indian territory. He said a water recharge system has now been introduced to improve groundwater levels and ensure cleaner supply to affected habitations.

Taking a political swipe at previous regimes, the Chief Minister accused the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal of compromising Punjab’s interests by signing agreements to share river waters with other states. Reiterating his government’s stand on inter-state water disputes, he asserted that Punjab has no surplus water to share and that “not even a single drop” would be allowed to go outside the state.

Referring to the long-pending Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) issue, Mann maintained that any resolution must ensure equitable utilisation of Yamuna waters, arguing that Punjab, despite being a riparian state, already bears a disproportionate burden. He claimed that nearly 60 per cent of Punjab’s river waters are allocated to non-riparian states, while the state alone bears flood-related damages annually.

In a sharp remark aimed at the Akali Dal, he said a party unable to find 11 members to constitute a committee was dreaming of winning all 117 Assembly seats. He accused traditional parties of promoting dynastic politics, patronising criminal elements in the past and misusing religion for political gains — charges that have been repeatedly levelled by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in recent months.

On governance initiatives, Mann said over 90 per cent of households in Punjab are receiving free electricity and that farmers are being supplied power during the daytime. He highlighted the opening of 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics and the launch of the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, which offers cashless medical treatment up to ₹10 lakh per family. More than 63,000 government jobs have been provided without “bribe or recommendation”, he added.

The Chief Minister also underlined the state’s campaign against drugs under the banner ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’, stating that supply chains have been disrupted, major traffickers jailed and properties of drug peddlers seized.

In a related development concerning border farmers, Mann said the Centre has given in-principle approval to shift the border fence closer to the International Border along the 532-km India–Pakistan frontier in Punjab, a move expected to ease access to farmland located beyond the existing fencing.

Cabinet Ministers Barinder Goyal, Dr Baljeet Kaur and Gurmeet Singh Khudian were present on the occasion.