Indira Gandhi Canal

The Indira Gandhi Canal (originally, Rajasthan Canal) is the longest canal in India. It starts at the Harike Barrage near Harike, a few kilometers downriver from the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in Punjab state, and ends in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the northwest of Rajasthan state. Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal on 2 November 1984 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi canal
Specifications
Length650 km (400 miles)
History
Former namesRajasthan Canal
Construction began1952
Date of first use2005
Date completedLast portion of canal finished in 2010
Geography
Start pointHarike Barrage, Punjab
End pointThar Desert, Rajasthan
Branch ofSutlej
Beas
Connects toThar Desert
Indira Gandhi Canal near Fakarsar, Punjab(India)
Indira Gandhi Canal near Giddarbaha, Punjab.

The canal consists of the Rajasthan feeder canal with the first 167 kilometres (104 mi) in Punjab and Haryana state and a further 37 kilometres (23 mi) in Rajasthan. This is followed by the 445 kilometres (277 mi) of the Rajasthan main canal, which is entirely within Rajasthan. The canal enters Haryana from Punjab near Lohgarh and runs through the western part of the Sirsa district before entering Rajasthan near Kharakhera village in the Tibbi tehsil of the Hanumangarh district.

It traverses seven districts of Rajasthan: Barmer, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Sriganganagar. The main canal is 445 km (277 mi) long, which is 1458 RD (reduced distance). From 1458 RD, a 96 km (60 mi) long branch starts, known as the Sagar Mal Gopa Branch or the SMGS. From the end point of SMGS, another 92-kilometer-long sub-branch starts, the last of the Baba Ramdev sub-branch. It ends near Gunjangarh village in Jaisalmer district.

Sunset over the canal

Design and construction

The idea of bringing the waters from the Himalayan Rivers flowing through Punjab and into Pakistan was conceived by hydraulic engineer Kanwar Sain in the late 1940s. Sain estimated that 2,000,000 ha (20,000 km2) of desert land in Bikaner and the northwest corner of Jaisalmer could be irrigated by the stored waters of Punjab rivers. In 1960, the Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan, which gave India the right to use the water from three rivers: the Satluj, Beas and Ravi. The proposed Rajasthan Canal envisioned use of 7,600,000 acre-feet (9.4×109 m3) of water.[1]

The initial plan was to build the canal in two stages. Stage I consisted of a 204 km (127 mi) feeder canal from Harike barrage, Firozpur, Punjab to Masitawali (Hanumangarh) with the main canal of 189 km (117 mi) from Masitawali (Hanumangarh) to Pugal, (Bikaner) in Rajasthan. Stage I also included constructing a distributary canal system of about 2,950 km (1,830 mi) in length. Stage II involved constructing a 256 km (159 mi) long main canal from Pugal (Bikaner) to Mohangarh (Jaisalmer) along with a distributary canal network of 3,600 km (2,200 mi). The main canal was planned to be 140 ft (43 m) wide at the top and 116 ft (35 m) wide at the bottom with a water depth of 21 ft (6.4 m). It was scheduled to be completed by 1971.

The canal faced severe financial constraints, neglect and corruption.[2] In 1970 the plan was revised and it was decided that the entire canal would be lined with concrete tiles. Five more lift schemes were added and the flow command of Stage II was increased by 100,000 ha (1,000 km2). With increased requirements, the total length of main, feeder and distribution canals was about 9,245 km (5,745 mi). Stage I was completed in 1983 around 20 years behind the completion schedule.

Effect on the region
Rajasthan Canal near Lohgarh, Haryana(India)
A photo from a bridge near village Lohgarh (district:-Sirsa), where Indira Gandhi Canal enters from Punjab into Haryana
Indira Gandhi canal near Rawatsar, India.
Rajasthan Canal near Chhattargarh, Rajasthan(India)
Rajasthan Canal (Indira Gandhi Canal) passing through the Thar desert near Chhatargarh, Bikaner district, Rajasthan
Rajasthan Canal near Sattasar, Rajasthan(India)
Rajasthan Canal (Indira Gandhi Canal) flowing in the Thar desert near Sattasar village, Bikaner district, Rajasthan

After the construction of the Indira Gandhi Canal, irrigation facilities were available over an area of 6,770 km2 (1,670,000 acres) in Jaisalmer district and 37 km2 (9,100 acres) in Barmer district. Irrigation had already been provided in an area of 3,670 km2 (910,000 acres) in Jaisalmer district. Mustard, cotton, and wheat now grow in this semi-arid northwestern region, replacing the soil there previously. However, many dispute the success of this canal in arid regions and question whether it has achieved its goals.[3]

References
  1. Ramtanu Maitra: The Indira Gandhi Canal: greening the desert in India EIR Volume 14, Number 7, February 13, 1987
  2. "Corruption scandal to further delay completion, raise cost of Indira Gandhi Canal Project-India Today". Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. "Scam of a canal". Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

Sources
  • Anon. 1998. Statistical Abstract Rajasthan. Directorate of Economic and Statistics, Rajasthan, Jaipur.
  • Balak Ram, 1999. Report on Wastelands in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. CAZRI, Jodhpur.
  • Karimkoshteh, M. H. 1995. Greening the Desert (Agro-Economic impact of IG canal). Renaissance Publication, New Delhi.
  • Kavadia, P.S. 1991. Problem of waterlogging in Indira Gandhi Nahar Project and outline of Action Plan to tackle it.
  • Singh, S. and Kar, A. 1997. Desertification Control - In the arid ecosystem of India for sustainable development. Agro-Botanical Publishers, Bikaner.
  • Burdak, L. R. 1982. Recent advances in Desert Afforestation, Dehradun.
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