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In an effort to ensure that all agricultural land in Punjab is irrigated using canal water, the state government has launched the second phase of its irrigation expansion initiative. The plan involves digging new channels and installing underground pipes to develop a 2,500-kilometre-long irrigation network across 21 Assembly constituencies. The government has allocated Rs 8.93 billion for this purpose in the current financial year. Of this, Rs 2.5 billion will be received as a special assistance grant from the central government, while the remaining funds will be raised through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). This initiative follows the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government鈥檚 earlier efforts, which over the past two years focused on reviving 16,000 irrigation channels that had previously become defunct. However, implementation hurdles remain. The Water Resources Department is reportedly facing a shortage of cement concrete (CC) pipes. Out of the required 685,000 pipes, only 265,000 have been procured so far, slowing down progress on the project. The irrigation network aims to reduce reliance on groundwater and ensure equitable water distribution to farmlands, thereby supporting sustainable agriculture across Punjab. Source: Tribune News Service