JAIPUR: Water shortage at Pong Lake Dam in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh will hit supply for irrigation in several districts of Rajasthan during the Rabi season. The Pong Lake Dam and the Bhakra Nangal Dam supply water to Indira Gandhi Nahar Pproject (IGNP), which extends till Jodhpur-Barmer in the south and Jhunjhunu in the north. The state will receive less water from January 12, 2022, which will impact around 1-lakh hectares of farmland.
The state requires a minimum of 15 lakh cusec water annually to meet its needs under drinking water and irrigation purposes. Poor rainfall in the catchment areas added with erratic rain in the winter season has reduced water in the Pong dam.
Districts that will be impacted are Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Nagaur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu.
“This year the share allocated to us is 9 lakh cusecs, which is almost half of the total requirement under the project. It clearly means that we can provide water for irrigation till January 12 and thereafter water will be available for drinking purposes,” said Amarjeet Singh, quality control officer at IGNP.
State share in the Pong Dam Lake is 49% while the remaining is distributed among Punjab and Haryana. The water regulation cycle ends on May 20. The share is subjected to water available in the dam. Officials at IGNP said from January 12, water will reduce to the slab of 6.5 lakh cusec of water (annually) for the next 25–34-day cycle. “Water distribution will reduce to the slab of 2.5 lakh cusec (annually) at the onset of the summer season,” said Singh.
Officials in Jaipur said they would review the situation and write to the Centre to make additional arrangements. The visible impact of the scarcity will be on wheat, mustard, sunflower and gram crops if water is not available after January. Water for irrigation is distributed every after 25-34 days in order to provide at least 3-4 cycles to farmers in the rabi crop.
The state needs at least 15 lakh cusec water for drinking and irrigation purposes annually
The state requires a minimum of 15 lakh cusec water annually to meet its needs under drinking water and irrigation purposes. Poor rainfall in the catchment areas added with erratic rain in the winter season has reduced water in the Pong dam.
Districts that will be impacted are Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Nagaur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu.
“This year the share allocated to us is 9 lakh cusecs, which is almost half of the total requirement under the project. It clearly means that we can provide water for irrigation till January 12 and thereafter water will be available for drinking purposes,” said Amarjeet Singh, quality control officer at IGNP.
State share in the Pong Dam Lake is 49% while the remaining is distributed among Punjab and Haryana. The water regulation cycle ends on May 20. The share is subjected to water available in the dam. Officials at IGNP said from January 12, water will reduce to the slab of 6.5 lakh cusec of water (annually) for the next 25–34-day cycle. “Water distribution will reduce to the slab of 2.5 lakh cusec (annually) at the onset of the summer season,” said Singh.
Officials in Jaipur said they would review the situation and write to the Centre to make additional arrangements. The visible impact of the scarcity will be on wheat, mustard, sunflower and gram crops if water is not available after January. Water for irrigation is distributed every after 25-34 days in order to provide at least 3-4 cycles to farmers in the rabi crop.
The state needs at least 15 lakh cusec water for drinking and irrigation purposes annually
.