Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Tuesday announced two canal irrigation projects worth Rs 100.65 crore to provide assured surface-water irrigation to over 90,000 acres of farmland. The initiatives aim to reduce farmers’ dependence on groundwater and strengthen the state’s irrigation infrastructure.The projects include a Rs 64.11-crore concrete lining project for the 1-R Distributary System and a Rs 36.54-crore Kapuri Lift Irrigation Scheme. The latter will provide canal water to 20,719 acres across 20 villages in Patiala district for the first time.Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Bhawan, Goyal said the Bhagwant Mann government had prioritised the restoration, modernisation and expansion of the canal irrigation network to ensure a reliable water supply and address groundwater depletion.“The farmers of Punjab have been feeding the nation for decades. Our responsibility is to ensure that they receive assured water for their fields. The Mann government is restoring the canal network and taking surface water to areas which have remained dependent on groundwater for generations,” he said.Goyal said the government had approved the 1-R Distributary System Concrete Lining Project to reconstruct and increase the carrying capacity of the nearly 60-year-old distributary. The project will restore and ensure adequate irrigation supply to its existing culturable command area of 69,967 acres, benefiting around 80 villages across Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala districts.