Indira Gandhi Canal
| Indira Gandhi Canal | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Length | 650 km (400 miles) |
| History | |
| Former names | Rajasthan Canal |
| Construction began | 1958 |
| Date of first use | 2005 |
| Date completed | Last portion of canal finished in 2010 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Harike Barrage, Punjab |
| End point | Thar Desert, Rajasthan |
| Branch of | Sutlej Beas |
| Connects to | Thar Desert |
The Indira Gandhi Canal (originally, Rajasthan Canal) project, with total length of 649 kilometres (403 mi) to 837 kilometres (520 mi) depending on how the length is calculated which either way includes the 204 kilometres (127 mi) length of the Rajasthan Feeder Canal and the downstream 445 kilometres (277 mi) length of main Indira Gandhi Canal, is the longest canal in India. In India, it flows through the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan, it traverses seven districts, Barmer, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Sriganganagar.
It's Rajasthan Feeder Canal section begins at the Harike Barrage (at Harike village 35 km south of Taran Taran city and 45 km northeast of Firozpur city), immediate downstream from the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in Ferozepur district of Punjab). After flowing the entire length of the project, the Indira Gandhi Canal ends in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the northwest of Rajasthan state.
At the end of 445 kilometres (277 mi) long main Indira Gandhi Canal, the 96 km (60 mi) long Sagar Mal Gopa Branch Canal (SMGS Canal) begins. And, from the end point of SMGS, another 92 kilometres (57 mi) long the Baba Ramdev Sub-branch Canal (BRSB Canal) begins which ends near Gunjangarh village in Jaisalmer district.