Fight against waterlogging launched

Fight against waterlogging launched
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 6
In a measure against the menace of waterlogging in various villages of Malwa region of Punjab, the state government in collaboration with Centre is laying sub-surface drains in the depressed agricultural fields to evacuate the excess water from the soil.
According priority to the home turf of state chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the drainage department has started Rs 14.29 crore worth AWG-07 plan of NABARD in 14 villages of Muktsar district. The plan will cover Ghagga, Smagh, Enna Khera, Channu, Banwala Annu Ka, Tapa Khera, Bhai Ka Khera, Fatta Kera, Deon Khera, Bhullar wala and Pakki Tibbi villages.
Further, seven more villages of the district, namely Husnar, Phula Khera, Bhai Ka, Khi Khera, Shajrana, Midhu Khera and Gidderbaha are also in the pipeline to be covered up under the sub surface drains project.
It is learnt that the CM Parkash Singh Badal had earlier too taken such an initiative but it was all put on backburner when the SAD (B) lost the assembly polls in 2002.
According to details available, the sub-surface drains are meant for evacuating the excess water in the upper crust of the fields, so that the land, which was lying abandoned for being waterlogged, could be used for agricultural purposes.
During a visit to village Pakki Tibbi, located on Malout-Abohar road, this correspondent witnessed the under process project of laying sub-surface drains in agricultural fields. Huge trenching machines along with other supportive machinery like excavators and bulldozers were being used to lay collectors and laterals beneath a specific level of earth.
Giving details about the plan, Executive Engineer KK Singla, who is the in-charge of the project, said that the laterals pipes wrapped with geofabric filters were being laid at a distance of 100 feet from one another. The laterals had small holes to collect the extra water in the soil, which would further go to the linked broad pipes called collectors.
After collecting the drainage effluent from laterals, the collectors would discharge it in sump wells, from where it would be finally pumped out to a surface drain.
Hailing the effort of the government to bring a smile on the faces of farmers, Jaswant Singh Bhullar, who owns 78 Acre of land, at village Pakki Tibbi said, "Out of our total land, about 65 acres were affected of water logging from past 11 years. This project will surely give positive results as the project is yet to be completed the water level has already started coming down. It made us enable to plough our fields, after a period of more than a decade."
Anticipating the positive results of scheme, the drainage department has sent a proposal to cover about 47 more villages, falling under Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepur districts, which would cost around Rs 80 crore.
On the other hand, seeking anonymity, some officials said that the process was slow. They said that at some villages even after the completion of construction work, the project could not become functional as the PSEB is delaying to give power connections.
When contacted, GK Nayyar, Superintending Engineer (drainage), Gidderbhaha circle, said, "Formalities have been completed and soon the project will start functioning in all villages."