Efforts to reinforce agricultural infrastructure in the arid stretches of Rajasthan have gained fresh momentum with a major push for water conservation. Amid sparse rainfall and depleting groundwater reserves, the Indira Gandhi Canal Project remains the principal lifeline for western Rajasthan. To optimize water management and prevent wastage during peak flows, the state administration has sanctioned Rs 1,274.26 crore for developing four major escape reservoirs. These storage facilities will hold an aggregate volume of 8,746 MCFT, ensuring dependable water reserves for agricultural and emergency use.
Locations and Capacities of the Planned Water Storage Facilities
The proposed water bodies will be situated strategically along key markers of the canal system, specifically at RD 507, RD 750, RD 1121, and RD 1356. With a combined capacity of 8,746 MCFT, these reservoirs will store excess canal discharge and release it during lean periods. Alongside storage creation, the irrigation department is actively restoring watercourses, field channels, and structural canal networks across the command area to curb conveyance losses.
Refurbishing Field Channels and Rolling Out Micro-Irrigation Networks
Under the state budget commitments for 2024-25 and 2025-26, comprehensive refurbishment work across 2,20,377 hectares of field channels is underway. To promote water efficiency across parched tracts, sprinkler irrigation installations are being set up over an area of 1,18,248 hectares. Structural overhauls are simultaneously progressing across the Sagarmal Gopa branch, Baba Ramdev sub-branch, Phalodi lift canal, both banks of the main canal, Baba Ramdev branch, Kolayat distributary, and Khidrat distributary to ensure smooth tail-end water delivery.
Planned Outlay of Rs 550 Crore for the 2026-27 Financial Period
Longer-term infrastructure development will carry forward into the 2026-27 fiscal calendar, for which works totaling Rs 550 crore have already been announced. This subsequent phase encompasses the overhaul of field channels covering 33,543 hectares. Furthermore, it includes building a balancing reservoir on the Sagarmal Gopa branch, alongside extensive revamping of both the Gajner lift canal and the Kolayat lift canal systems.
Sustaining 13 Districts and Crucial Defense Establishments
Beyond crop fields, the Indira Gandhi Canal network satisfies drinking water needs across 13 districts spanning western, northern, and central Rajasthan. It also caters to vital operational water supplies for the Border Security Force, the Indian Army, power stations, and surrounding industrial hubs. The current drive to establish reservoirs and modernize feeder canals directly fortifies the agrarian backbone, shielding local rural communities from extreme hydrological vulnerabilities.
