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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox canal
| name = Indira Gandhi canal
| image =
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| image_caption = The canal is fed from the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi tributaries of the [[Indus River]]
| former_names = Rajasthan Canal
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| date_began = Canal construction started in 1952
| date_use = 
| date_completed = Last portion of canal constructed till 2010
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[[File:Rajasthan canal in Punjab.jpg|thumb|alt=Indira Gandhi Canal near Fakarsar, Punjab(India)|Indira Gandhi Canal near [[Giddarbaha]], Punjab.]]

The '''Indira Gandhi Canal''' (originally, '''Rajasthan Canal''') is the longest canal of India. It starts from the [[Harike Barrage]] at [[Harike]], a few kilometers below the confluence of the [[Satluj]] and [[Beas River|Beas]] rivers in the Indian state of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] and terminates in irrigation facilities in the [[Thar Desert]] in the north west of [[Rajasthan]] state. Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal on 2 November 1984 following the assassination of Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]].

The canal consists of the Rajasthan feeder canal with the first {{convert|167|km}} in Punjab and [[Haryana]] state and a further {{convert|37|km}} in Rajasthan followed by the {{convert|445|km }} of the Rajasthan main canal, which is entirely within Rajasthan. The canal enters Haryana from Punjab near [[Lohgarh]] village then runs through the western part of the [[Sirsa district]] before entering Rajasthan near [[Kharakhera, Rajasthan|Kharakhera]] village in the Tibbi tehsil of the [[Hanumangarh district]]. The canal traverses seven districts of Rajasthan: [[Barmer district|Barmer]], [[Bikaner district|Bikaner]], [[Churu district|Churu]], [[Hanumangarh district|Hanumangarh]], [[Jaisalmer district|Jaisalmer]], [[Jodhpur district|Jodhpur]], and [[Sri Ganganagar district|Sriganganagar]].The main canal is 445 km long which is 1458 RD (RD represents reduced distance). From 1458 RD, one branch starts, known as Sagar mal gopa branch or the SMGS. Sagar mal gopa branch is 96 km long. From the end point of SMGS, another subbranch starts, which is the last subbranch of this canal named as Baba Ramdev sub-branch and it is 92 km long. It ends near Gunjangarh village in [[Jaisalmer]] district.
[[File:Sunset IGC.jpg|thumb|right|Sunset over the canal]]

== Design and Construction ==
The idea of bringing the waters from the [[List of major rivers of India|Himalayan Rivers]] flowing through [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and into [[Pakistan]] was conceived by a hydraulic engineer, Kanwar Sain in the late 1940s who proposed that {{convert|2000000|ha|km2|abbr=on}} of desert land in Bikaner and the northwest corner of Jaisalmer could be brought under irrigation from the stored waters of Punjab rivers.
In 1960, [[Indus Water Treaty]] was signed between India and Pakistan which gave India the right to use waters of three rivers – the [[Satluj]], [[Beas River|Beas]] and [[Ravi River|Ravi]]. The proposed Rajasthan Canal envisaged use of 7.6 million acre feet of water.<ref name=igc1>Ramtanu Maitra: The Indira Gandhi Canal: greening the desert in India EIR Volume 14, Number 7, February 13, 1987</ref>

The initial plan was to build the canal in two stages, Stage I consisting of {{convert|204|km|mi|abbr=on}} feeder canal from Harike barrage, [[Firozpur]], [[Punjab]] to Masitawali ([[Hanumangarh]]) with the main canal of {{convert|189|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Masitawali ([[Hanumangarh]]) to [[Pugal]], ([[Bikaner]]) in [[Rajasthan]]. Stage I also included constructing distributary canal system of about {{convert|2950|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length. The stage II involved construction of {{convert|256|km|mi|abbr=on}} long main canal from Pugal ([[Bikaner]]) to Mohangarh ([[Jaisalmer]]) along with distributary canal network of {{convert|3600|km|mi|abbr=on}}. It was planned that the main canal will be {{convert|140|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide at the top and {{convert|116|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide at the bottom with water depth of {{convert|21|ft|m|abbr=on}}. The canal was scheduled to be completed by 1971.

The canal faced severe financial constraints, neglect and corruption. In 1970 the plan was revised and it was decided that the entire canal will be lined with concrete tiles. Five more lift schemes were added. Flow command of stage II was increased by {{convert|100000|ha|km2|abbr=on}}. With increased requirements, the total length of main, feeder and distribution canals was about {{convert|9245|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The stage I was completed in 1983 around 20 years behind the completion schedule.

==The [[Green revolution]] in Rajasthan==
[[File:Indira Gandhi Canal Rajasthan Canal Lohgarh Sivender.jpg|thumb|alt=Rajasthan Canal near [[Lohgarh, Haryana|Lohgarh]], Haryana(India)|a photo from a bridge near village Lohgarh(district:-Sirsa), where Indira Gandhi Canal enters from Punjab into Haryana]]
[[File:Indira Gandhi canal near Rawatsar.jpg|thumb|Indira Gandhi canal near [[Rawatsar]], [[India]].]]
[[File:Rajasthan canal Shivender.jpg|thumb|alt=Rajasthan Canal near Chhattargarh, Rajasthan(India)|Rajasthan Canal(Indira Gandhi Canal) passing through Thar desert near Chhatargarh [[Bikaner district]], Rajasthan]]
After the construction of the Indira Gandhi Canal, irrigation facilities were available over an area of {{convert|6770|km2|acre|abbr=on}} in [[Jaisalmer]] district and {{convert|37|km2|acre|abbr=on}} in [[Barmer district|Barmer]] district. Irrigation had already been provided in an area of {{convert|3670|km2|acre|abbr=on}} in Jaisalmer district. The canal has transformed the barren deserts of this district into fertile and good fields.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} Crops of [[Mustard plant|mustard]], [[cotton]], and [[wheat]] now grow in this [[semi-arid]] north-western region replacing the soil there previously.

==Improvement in living standard==
[[File:Indira Gandhi Canal.jpg|thumb|alt=Rajasthan Canal near Sattasar, Rajasthan(India)|Rajasthan Canal(Indira Gandhi Canal) flowing in [[Thar desert]] near Sattasar village, [[Bikaner district]], Rajasthan]] Besides providing water for agriculture, the canal will supply drinking water to hundreds of people in far-flung areas.
As the second stage of work on the canal progresses rapidly, there is hope that it will enhance the living standards of the people of the state.

==Sand dune stabilization==
The Indira Gandhi Canal is a major step in reclaiming the Thar Desert and checking [[desertification]] of fertile areas. There is a planting programme for greening the desert in areas near the Indira Gandhi Canal which was started in 1965. This consists of the planting of shelter belts along roads and canals, blocks of plantations and [[sand dune stabilization]]. The tree species being used for planting are ''[[Dalbergia sissoo]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus tereticornis]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus camaldulensis]]'', ''[[Morus alba]]'', ''[[Tecomella undulata]]'', ''[[Acacia tortilis]]'', ''[[Azadirachta indica]]'', ''[[Albizia lebbeck]]'', ''[[Cassia fistula]]'', ''[[Populus ciliata]]'', ''[[Melia azedarach]]'', and ''[[Vachellia nilotica]]''.

==Environmental problems==
The excessive irrigation and intensification of agriculture over the years has caused environmental degradation and creation of new wastelands. There have been problems with water-logging caused by excessive irrigation, seepage from canals and poor drainage. These factors produced a rise in the water table (bringing soluble salts close to surface), increased salinity and finally submergence of the land.
These problems have been exacerbated by the cultivation of water intensive [[cash crops]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*Anon. 1998. Statistical Abstract Rajasthan. Directorate of Economic and Statistics, Rajasthan, Jaipur.
*Balak Ram, 1999. Report on Wastelands in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. CAZRI, Jodhpur.
* Karimkoshteh, M. H. 1995. Greening the Desert (Agro-Economic impact of IG canal). Renaissance Publication, New Delhi.
*Kavadia, P.S. 1991. Problem of waterlogging in Indira Gandhi Nahar Project and outline of Action Plan to tackle it.
*Singh, S. and Kar, A. 1997. Desertification Control - In the arid ecosystem of India for sustainable development. Agro-Botanical Publishers, Bikaner.
*Burdak, L. R. 1982. Recent advances in Desert Afforestation, Dehradun.

{{Hydrography of Haryana}}
{{Hydrography of Rajasthan}}
{{Hydrography of Punjab, India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canals in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Interbasin transfer]]
[[Category:Canals in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Irrigation canals]]
[[Category:1983 establishments in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Canals opened in 1983]]

Indira Gandhi Canal - Revision history

>Jack is a celeb at 13:06, 28 June 2021