Ganga Canal Closed Until Nov 8, Cutting Irrigation and Drinking Water in UP, NCR
The Ganga Canal has been shut from Tuesday midnight until Deepawali, stopping water deliveries to farms across 15 Uttar Pradesh districts, Haridwar and seven NCR districts, as well as to the Pratap Vihar drinking-water plant in Ghaziabad.
The Ganga Canal, constructed in 1854 and stretching about 560 km from Haridwar, will remain closed until November 8 for its yearly maintenance, desilting and ghat redevelopment. The shutdown, effective from Tuesday midnight to midnight on Deepawali, disrupts irrigation water to farms in 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh, the city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and seven districts within the National Capital Region. It also halts the flow to the Pratap Vihar treatment plant in Ghaziabad, reducing drinking-water availability in parts of the NCR.
Sub-divisional officer Bharat Bhushan of the UP irrigation department confirmed the closure followed approvals from higher authorities and the state government, and that all stakeholders were notified in advance. The Ganga Sabha, led by president Nitin Gautam, urged the maintenance of a minimum water flow at Brahmakund near Har Ki Pauri to allow daily rituals, and senior irrigation officials said Uttarakhand field officers have been directed to ensure adequate levels. Despite these measures, photographs showing a dry Har Ki Pauri have gone viral.
Why it matters
The canal shutdown threatens irrigation and drinking-water supplies for millions in Uttar Pradesh and the NCR.
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