Jaisalmer: The Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGNP), lifeline of western Rajasthan, is likely to face a partial shutdown from March 20 to May 3 as relining work on the Rajasthan Feeder in Punjab remains incomplete. Punjab has issued a notification to finish the remaining 16.62 km stretch, and Rajasthan is expected to take a final call soon.Officials said a complete 45-day closure could disrupt drinking water supply in nearly 12 districts. To minimise impact, the state may opt for a phased plan — 15 days of partial closure followed by 30 days of full shutdown — ensuring limited supply initially.
IGNP provides drinking water to around 1.7 crore people in 49 towns and about 7,500 villages across districts including Hanumangarh, Shriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Barmer. It also irrigates over 16 lakh hectares in six districts and supplies water to army establishments.Punjab plans a 60-day closure from March 21 to May 20. Around 2,000 cusec is expected to be released for drinking purposes till April 20, after which supply may stop and stored water will be used.Relining project covers 96.62 km from RD 179 to RD 496 of the Rajasthan Feeder within Punjab. By 2024, around 80 km had been completed, while the remaining 16.62 km was scheduled for 2025.Officials said delays last year stalled the relining work, originally targeted for completion by 2022 under a 2019 MoU. XEN Niranjan Meena said a contingency plan, including advance storage and tubewell repairs, has been prepared to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply.
