Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday claimed that canal water was reaching more than 80 per cent of the state’s agricultural fields, while groundwater levels had risen by four metres following the expansion of the canal irrigation network. Participating in a discussion in the Vidhan Sabha, he said the government was working to reduce dependence on groundwater and promote sustainable agriculture.Mann said nearly 14,000 km of underground pipelines had been laid to carry canal water to fields, with another 6,000 km planned to extend irrigation facilities to areas deprived of supplies for decades. He claimed canal water utilisation had increased from 22 per cent in 2022 to over 80 per cent, with nearly 18,000 cusecs reaching agricultural fields.Describing canal water as “desi ghee for Punjab’s crops”, the CM claimed paddy yields this season had touched nearly 90 maunds per acre in areas receiving canal water. He stressed the need to document and verify crop-wise productivity figures to assess the impact of improved irrigation.Mann said the expansion aimed to conserve groundwater and address the depletion of state’s water reserves. He claimed areas previously classified as dark zones due to excessive groundwater extraction were showing encouraging signs of recovery.He added that farmers in some villages were receiving canal water after decades, improving irrigation access in areas long deprived of adequate supplies.“Every drop of groundwater saved today is an investment in the future of our farmers and our children,” he said, reiterating the government’s goal of ensuring canal water access for every field.The CM said the government would continue expanding the canal network and pipeline-based distribution system to improve irrigation and encourage sustainable farming.Mann also referred to a resolution against what he described as anti-democratic and oppressive laws, asserting that Punjab had historically opposed oppression and would continue raising issues concerning public interests in the Assembly.