‘Big gift to farmers’: PM to start Saryu canal project tomorrow in Uttar Pardesh

Adityanath said the project would help around 30 lakh farmers irrigate 14.5 lakh hectares of land in nine districts in the region. The 6,623-km canal system that is linked to the 318-km main canal — it spans nine districts from Bahraich to Gorakhpur, and interconnects rivers such as Ghagra, Saryu, Rapti and Rohini — was extremely important for achieving the goal of doubling the income of farmers, he added.

According to the state government, the project was finalised in 1974 but work on it began in 1978. Between 1978 and 2017, only 52 per cent of the project was completed, Adityanath said, adding that the rest was completed in time by his government. The project would bring forth a major change in the lives of farmers of the region as it would increase their income and create employment opportunities, the chief minister claimed.

Last month, Modi unveiled various irrigation projects in Mahoba district for the Bundelkhand region with the aim of alleviating the problem of water shortage. Among the projects were the Arjun Sahayak Project, the Ratauli Weir Project, the Bhaoni Dam Project, and the Majhgaon-Chilli Sprinkler Project. He also inaugurated  the Purvanchal Expressway.

On December 18, Modi will lay foundation of the 600-km, six-lane Ganga Expressway, whichconnects Meerut to Prayagraj, in Shahjahanpur district. According to the chief minister, the expressway is set to be country’s longest one. The government plans to build industrial clusters and an airstrip along the highway in Shahjahanpur for emergency landings and the operation of air-ambulances.