Sirsa faces water shortage due to reduced flow from Bhakra dam

The region of Sirsa and Fatehabad that has the largest canal network in Haryana and is mainly fed by water from Bhakra Dam is facing water shortage due to a reduced flow.

With over 119 canals and distributaries, Sirsa irrigates lakhs of acres of farmland, but the reduced water supply has left many fields dry and farmers worried.

Out of Sirsa’s total 3,71,412 hectares of farmland, about 75% is irrigated by canals, while the remaining area depends on tubewells.

In 50 villages near the Ghaggar river, crops like paddy and cotton sown over around 60,000 hectares rely on canal water during the rabi season. The farmers say the government has not taken proper action. They believe that repeated flooding of the Ghaggar and falling crop yields are clear signs of this. The Ghaggar, believed to be a remnant of the ancient Saraswati, flows through Sirsa. Agriculture expert and Global Farmer Network member Gurjeet Mann, a resident of the area, suggested that connecting the river to the Yamuna through a new canal could help control floods, besides ensuring ample supply during the summer.

Farmers in regions like Dabwali, Ellenabad, Baragudha, and Odhan have been demanding access to Ghaggar waters during the kharif season for a long time. Mann further said currently, the Ottu head in Sirsa controls the Ghaggar flow, but water can be redirected to other canals from this point.

A similar canal system can be developed in Fatehabad and even in Kaithal, which would help reduce damaege caused by floods estimated at Rs 100-200 crore every 10 years, he added.

Sirsa MP Kumari Selja has also called for an urgent action. In a letter to Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, she requested that the Yamuna-Ghaggar link canal be made a top priority under the national “Rivers Linking Project”. Selja blamed both the BJP and AAP for politicising the crisis while ignoring people’s suffering. Selja said Haryana cannot wait for the court decision while farmers and rural communities are suffering. She emphasised that Punjab is only a passage for Bhakra water and has no right to block it. Since BBMB, which manages Bhakra water, is under central control, she urged the Centre to act immediately.

The MP also highlighted that the canal could provide a permanent water source, reduce dependency on rain, help in flood control and improve rural life. She called for a fast-tracked survey and planning to protect Haryana’s future.

Haryana Tribune