Indira Gandhi canal | |
---|---|
Specifications | |
Length | 650 km (400 miles) |
History | |
Former names | Rajasthan Canal |
Construction began | 1958 |
Date of first use | 2005 |
Date completed | Last portion of canal finished in 2010 |
Geography | |
Start point | Harike Barrage, Punjab |
End point | Thar Desert, Rajasthan |
Branch of | Sutlej Beas |
Connects to | Thar Desert |
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.
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.
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.
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 grows 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]
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi) in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-largest hot subtropical desert.
Pokhran is a town and a municipality located 112 km east of Jaisalmer city in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated in the Thar Desert region. Surrounded by rocks, sand and five salt ranges, the word "Pokaran" (पोकरण) means "place surrounded by five salt-ranges" in Rajasthani. The site for India's first and second underground nuclear weapon test is near Pokhran.
Bhakra Nangal Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Satluj River in Bhakra Village in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The dam forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir. Nangal Dam is another dam at Nangal in Punjab downstream of Bhakra Dam. However, sometimes both the dams together are called Bhakra-Nangal Dam though they are two separate dams.
Sri Ganganagar is the northernmost city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, near the international border of India and Pakistan. It is the administrative headquarters of Sri Ganganagar district. It is named after Maharaja Shri Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner. The city is also known as the "Food Basket of Rajasthan".
Barmer District is a district in Rajasthan state of India. It is located in the western part of Rajasthan state forming a part of the Thar Desert. Barmer is the third largest district by area in Rajasthan and fifth largest district in India, occupying an area of 28,387 km2. Being in the western part of the state, it includes a part of the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer is to the north of this district while Jalore is in its south. Pali and Jodhpur form its eastern border and it shares a border with Pakistan in the west. Partially being a desert, this district has a large variation in temperature. The temperature in summer can rise up to 51 °C and falls near to 0 °C in winter. Luni is the longest river in Barmer district. After travelling a length of almost 500 km, it passes through Jalore and merges in the marshy land of Runn of Kutch. District headquarters is in the town of Barmer. The other major towns in the district are: Balotra, Guda Malani, Baytoo, Siwana, and Chohatan. Recently, a large onshore oil field has been discovered and made functional in Barmer district. Barmer is also famous for pomegranate.
Bikaner District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The historic city of Bikaner is the district headquarters. The district is located in Bikaner Division along with the three other districts of Anupgarh, Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh.
Jaisalmer district is the largest district in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and the third largest district in India. Located in Marwar, the city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is around 289 km (180 mi) from the city of Jodhpur, and around 559 km (347 mi) from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. As of the 2011 population census, it is the least populous district out of all 50 districts in Rajasthan.
Sanchore is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as headquarters of Sanchore district. The town is located on National Highway 68 and also on Amritsar–Jamnagar Expressway (NH-754). Sanchore was once known as Satyapur.
Vijaynagar or Vijaynagar is a town and a municipality in Sri Gangangaar district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
The Ganga Canal of Rajasthan is an irrigation system of canals laid down by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the present district of Sri Ganganagar in the early twentieth century. It is fed from the Sutlej River near Firozpur, Punjab, close to the India–Pakistan border, and passes through the Faridkot, Fazilka and Muktsar districts. Faridkot's Jhok Sarkari village lies on its path.
Rajasthan is a mineral-rich state and has a diversified economy having agriculture, mining and tourism as its main engines of growth. The state mines produce gold, silver, sandstone, limestone, marble, rock phosphate, copper and lignite. It is the second-largest producer of cement and contributes one tenth of the salt produced in India.
Tibbi is a town and one of the seven tehsil headquarters of Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan state in India. It is nearby Hanumangarh city. It is at the junction of Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan states. The total population 8GGR Tibbi as of 2011 is 11,553.
The culture of Rajasthan includes many artistic traditions that reflect the ancient Indian way of life. This historical state of India attracts tourists and vacationers with its rich culture, tradition, heritage and monuments.
Ajeetpura is a town in the Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan state in India.
Sri Vijaynagar Tehsil is the one of five tehsils of Anupgarh district of Rajasthan, India. It is located in the Eastern part of District Anupgarh. It is bordered by Anoopgarh tehsil in the west, by Raisinghnagar tehsil in the north, Suratgarh tehsil in the east, and Bikaner district in the south.
Sri Gurusar Modia is a village in the Indian state of Rajasthan situated near borders of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab states and the international border of India and Pakistan. This village is located in the tehsil Suratgarh of district Sriganganagar. Suratgarh, once known as Sodhal was believed to be surrounded by the confluence of Saraswati and Drishyati rivers but now the land is a deserted one lying amidst the expanse of The great Indian Thar desert. Suratgarh is famous for its agriculture, air force and army base stations, largest thermal power plant of Rajasthan and largest radio station of Rajasthan called as "Cotton City Channel". Sri Gurusar Modia came into limelight when a controversial self-proclaimed saint and spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was believed to be incarnated there and crowned to the throne of Dera Sacha Sauda at Sirsa in 1991. With setting up of Shah Satnam Schools for both boys and girls, super speciality hospitals etc. this village became nationwide popular
The Narmada Canal is a contour canal in Western India that brings water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the state of Gujarat and then into Rajasthan state. The main canal has a length of 532 kilometres (331 mi). It is the second longest canal in India and the largest canal by water carrying capacity. The main canal is connected with 42 branch canals providing irrigation to 2,129,000 hectares farmland. The canal is designed to transfer 9.5 million acre-feet water annually from the Narmada Basin to areas under other river basins in Gujarat and Rajasthan..
Bagar, also Bagad (बागड़) a term meaning the "dry country", is a region refers in north-western India in north Rajasthan, West Haryana, south west Punjab, India where the Bagri language is spoken and which is inhabited by Bagri people. The region is characterised by sandy tracks and shifting sand dunes which are now irrigated by canals.
Western Yamuna Canal is canal in river Yamuna that was dug out and renovated in 1335 CE by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. In 1750 CE, excessive silting caused it to stop flowing. The British raj undertook a three-year renovation in 1817 by Captain GR Blane of the Bengal Engineer Group. In 1832-33 Tajewala Barrage dam at Yamunanagar was also built to regulate the flow of water, and later Pathrala barrage at Dadupur,Yamuna Nagar and Somb river dam downstream of canal were constructed in 1875-76. In 1889-95 the largest branch of the canal Sirsa branch was constructed. The modern Hathni Kund Barrage was built in 1999 to handle the problem of silting to replace the older Tajewala Barrage.
The climate of Rajasthan in northwestern India is generally arid or semi-arid and features fairly hot temperatures over the year with extreme temperatures in both summer and winter. The hottest months are May and June. The monsoon season is from July to September; however, rainfall remains moderate.