Punjab's government has restored 16,000 kilometres of watercourses and released 39,049 cusecs of canal water to reach remote agricultural areas, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, describing it as part of a broader push to reverse years of falling groundwater levels across the state.
Under the programme, 510 recharge schemes have been implemented — 192 pond-based and 246 canal-based — and groundwater levels have risen by 3 to 5 metres in several regions. Farmers have reported wheat and paddy yields improving by roughly 1 to 2 quintals per acre, while relying less on tube wells and the electricity needed to run them.
For farming families around Jagraon and across Ludhiana district, where dropping water tables have long been a source of worry, the restored canal supply offers real relief. New building approvals in several urban areas now require rainwater recharge wells, part of a wider effort to make Punjab's water use more sustainable for the generations that will farm this land next.
Source: Rozana Spokesman, published Aug 8, 2026, updated Aug 18, 2026. Window: Aug 8–18, 2026.
