JALANDHAR
Farmers of 7 villages in the district will soon start receiving treated water from the sewage treatment plant established in Basti Peer Dad for irrigating their agricultural land.
Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal said that the work on this project, which costs ₹7.10 crores, is progressing rapidly.
“Once completed, it will provide irrigation facilities to about 550 hectares of agricultural land in these villages”, he added.
Dr. Aggarwal mentioned that this project is being implemented under Jalandhar Smart City by the Soil and Water Conservation Department as a deposit work. He stated that the project involves laying a total of 20 KM of underground pipeline, of which 17 KM has already been completed.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the treated water from the sewage treatment plant (25 MLD) established in Basti Peer Dad will be delivered to the farmers' fields through underground pipes and pump sets with 72 liters per second discharge capacity.
He said that 80% of the work on this project has been completed and it will be finished by the end of October, benefiting the farmers of Basti Peer Dad, Gill, Chamiara, Sangal Sohal, Safipur, Gakhla, and Katlupur villages.
The Deputy Commissioner highlighted that this project will not only save groundwater but also benefit farmers by reducing their expenses for diesel to run tube wells and the cost of deepening borewells. He noted that such alternative irrigation sources could significantly help prevent the groundwater level from further depletion.
Lupinder Kumar, sub-divisional soil conservation officer of the Soil and Water Conservation Department Punjab, Jalandhar, said that to ensure the treated water remains within safe standards for irrigation, this system will be equipped with monitoring devices.
This project will save 30 to 40 % of groundwater in the area, reducing farmers' reliance on it, as treated water from the treatment plant will be available throughout the year for crop irrigation.