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The Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP)
construction commenced in the year 1958. Indira Gandhi Nahar Project was designed to utilise 9,367 Mm3/yr of the total 10,608 Mm3/yr allocated to Rajasthan from the surplus waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers. The construction of the project has been divided into two stages.
Stage I : Stage I consists of a 204 km long feeder canal, having a headworks
discharge capacity of 460 m3/sec, which starts from Harike Barrage. 170 km of the feeder canal lie in Punjab and Haryana and 34 km in
Rajasthan. The entire system of stage-I consists of the 204 km long feeder canal, 189km long main canal and 3454 km long distribution system, is concrete lined, and serves 553 kha of
culturable command area, out of which 46 kha are served by pumping to a 60 m lift, through four pumping stations.
In addition to irrigation and domestic water supply through this project , it has been proposed by the Rajasthan State Electricity Board (RSEB) to install a total of 12.76 MW of mini hydro electric power stations, to utilise the available water fall in the canal. One such power station, with an installed capacity of 2´2 MW has already started functioning at the Suratgarh branch of IGNP stage I.
Stage II : IGNP Stage II comprises construction of a 256 km long main canal and 5,606 km of a lined distribution system, and will serve 1,410 kha of CCA (873577 ha area in flow and 537018 ha under lift), utilising 4,930 Mm3/yr of water. The main canal in the entire length was completed in the year 1986.
Development: Indira Gandhi Canal is
changing the face of The
Thar Desert of Rajasthan and check spreading of desert to the fertile
areas. Besides providing water for the crops, the canal would supply drinking water to
hundreds of people in the far-flung areas. Irrigation facilities would be
available in an area of 6770 km² in Jaisalmer district and 37 km² in Barmer
district. The canal has transformed the barren deserts of Jaisalmer
district into rich and lush fields. Crops of mustard, cotton, and wheat now
flourish in the semi-arid western region of the state.
Water level rise in Jodhpur:
Drought plagued Jodhpur (सूर्य
नगरी जोधपुर)every year but the canal waters solved the water shortage and everyone
was delighted. But the canal water was stored in natural reservoirs which happened to have cracks in their base. Water began seeping out. As it seeped out, the water table rose. In some parts of the city, water is seeping through to the surface. In others, it is just a few centimetres below the surface.
"The entire water table has risen to just one metre below the surface. Normally, it should be at least five metres below ground," said O. P.
Poonia, a scientist with the Central Ground Water Board in Jodhpur.
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