Indira Gandhi Canal, Irrigation canal in Rajasthan, India
The Indira Gandhi Canal is an irrigation canal in Rajasthan, India, running from the Harike Barrage in Punjab through Haryana into the Thar Desert. The structure stretches over 600 kilometers across dry terrain, bringing water from three rivers to agricultural zones.
Work began in 1958 under the original name Rajasthan Canal and continued for more than five decades. Technical difficulties and funding shortages delayed the project until its completion in 2010.
Water flowing through the system allows farming in zones where agriculture was impossible before, changing how entire settlements live. Communities along its path now grow mustard and cotton in fields that once held only sand.
The route is visible from several points, especially where water flows through smaller towns or branches off into fields. The best views come from access points open to visitors, where you can see how the system works up close.
Water flowing through the system changed the ecology of the desert and led to the loss of more than 150 native plant species in irrigated zones. The new conditions favor other plants that cope better with the added moisture.
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