Residents of Kandi area seek policy for getting adequate funds released for better maintenance and operation of deep tubewells

In the past, area falling under the foothills of Shivalik range mountains was totally dependent on nature, monsoons. Proper and timely monsoons used to cheer the farmers as the major source of income of the residents residing in the Kandi area was from agriculture.
The farmers used to cultivate their land and the agriculture produced was either consumed in their houses or sold in the market. With the passage of time the things changed due to change of time and infrastructure developed in the Kandi areas. The credit for same goes to the Punjab Irrigation Department which created a history by focusing on providing safe water for drinking and agriculture sector.
In mid 70s Punjab State Tube Well Corporation Limited came into existence. Later on, this Corporation was renamed as Punjab Water Recourses Development Corporation Limited. With the financial aid from World Bank and NABARD deep tubewells were constructed. These tubewells paved way for green revolution in the Kandi Area. In the past, women used to carry pitcher on their heads to bring drinking water from river or rivulet passing nearby to their areas. The areas falling on the foothills of Shivalik rangemountains were Dhar area in District Gurdaspur -now Pathankot, Mukerian, Dasua, Gardiwal, Hoshiarpur, Mahilpur, Garshanker, Anandpur Sahib, Balachaur, Ropar etc. However, at a later stage with the efforts made at the government-level, people used to get water for drinking purpose and also for irrigating their lands with the help of deep tubewells.
It may also be mentioned here that in the Bet area the then Member Parliament from Hoshiarpur Avinash Rai Khanna who presently is national vice president of BJP had played an effective role in arranging funds for construction of deep tubewells. As such, Khanna played a key role in bringing prosperity in the Bet area.
No doubt, deep tubewells have become life line of the Kandi Area over the period but lack of funds for maintenance and operation are the major hurdles to achieve ultimate goal of green revolution. Presently, Jagbir Singh Brar, a former MLA is chairman of Punjab Water Resources Development Corporation. The residents of the Kandi area have lots of hopes from the newly appointed chairman in the Congress led government of Capt Amarinder Singh. People hope that the new chairman will make a policy for getting adequate funds released for better maintenance and operation of deep tubewells from Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.
(Author: Rajat Kumar/Jalandhar)