Following repeated annual losses during the monsoon, when the Ghaggar River swells and floods nearby areas, Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal has reiterated the state government’s claim to recover Rs 1.44 lakh crore from the Rajasthan government for decades of unpaid water use.The Punjab government had earlier strengthened the Ghaggar embankments at a cost of Rs 4 crore. “As a result, during the floods of 2025, although the Ghaggar River remained above the danger mark for 10 consecutive days, people were largely protected from its impact,” said Goyal.He also laid the foundation stone of a project worth approximately Rs 6.46 crore at Makrour Sahib to further strengthen and raise the embankments of the Ghaggar River.Earlier, while addressing the media at his office in Lehragaga, the Cabinet Minister said Rajasthan must either release Punjab’s legitimate dues or stop using its water.He stated that since 1960, Rajasthan has owed Punjab Rs 1.44 lakh crore for water drawn through the Ferozepur Feeder, and no amount has been paid. Under an agreement in the 1920s between the Bikaner princely state, undivided Punjab, and the British government, Rajasthan agreed to pay for water on a per-acre basis. Payments continued until 1960, but after the Indus Waters Treaty, Rajasthan continued to draw approximately 18,000 cusecs of water without making any payments.Highlighting revolutionary changes in Punjab’s irrigation system, Goyal said canal irrigation, which stood at only 26.50 percent in 2022, has now increased to 78 percent and is expected to reach 86 percent before the paddy transplantation season this year. 1,446 villages have received canal water for the first time since Independence.From April 2022 till now, Rs 6,700 crore has been spent on canal lining, repair, modernisation, and strengthening of infrastructure—the highest ever in Punjab’s history.Punjab has the capacity to irrigate approximately 75.90 lakh acres with canal water, whereas only 20.89 lakh acres were irrigated as of March 2022. About Rs 2,000 crore has been spent on the construction and repair of nearly 13,000 km of canals, enabling canal water to now reach 58 lakh acres.Around 7,000 watercourses have been restored, 15,539 canals have been cleaned, and 18,349 water channels have been rejuvenated. For the first time, 101 abandoned canals spanning 545 km have been revived, many of which had remained non-functional for 30 to 40 years and were filled with silt.The minister said the revival of seasonal streams alone has helped bring 2.75 lakh acres under canal irrigation. Restoration of old canal systems has ensured an additional 10,000 cusecs of water reaching the fields. In effect, the Punjab Government has created a “new Bhakra canal” without acquiring any land, as this is equivalent to the flow capacity of the Bhakra Main Line.Regarding disaster management and environmental restoration, he said Rs 477 crore has been spent from the State Disaster Response Fund on 195 projects aimed at flood control and water management. A total of 199 desilting sites have been identified, and new chain-mounted machines have been deployed for cleaning drains.The Shahpur Kandi Dam project, pending for over 25 years, has now been completed at a cost of Rs 3,394.49 crore. This will improve the efficiency of the Ranjit Sagar Dam and help prevent Punjab’s water from flowing into Pakistan.