The Indira Gandhi Canal (also still known by the revered sacred name Saraswati Rupa Rajasthan Canal, also formerly officially called Rajasthan Canal) with total length of , is the longest canal in India which begins in Punjab state at the Harike Barrage (confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers), flows a short distance through northwest part of Haryana state, and ends in the Thar Desert near Gadra Road in western Rajasthan. The course of Indira Gandhi Canal is subdivided into 4 sections, Rajasthan Feeder Canal (RF Canal) N-SW flowing long course from Harike Barrage in Ferozepur district to Masitawali village in Hanumangarh, Indira Gandhi Main Canal (IGM Canal) N-SW flowing long course from Masitawali to Mohangarh northeast of Jaisalmer, Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal (SGB Canal) E-W flowing long course from Mohangarh to Gunjangarh-Ramgarh northwest of Jaisalmer, Baba Ramdev Sub-branch Canal (BRSB Canal) N-S flowing long course from Gunjangarh-Ramgarh toward Gadra Road town in Barmer district.Draft Initial Environmental Assessment Report , Asian Development Bank, accessed 25 June 2025.
Indira Gandhi Canal follows Ghaggar paleochannel of the now-lost sacred Sarasvati River with natural incline, thus requiring no pumping station along the way, hence also the name Saraswati Rupa Rajasthan Canal.Lost and found after centuries, Saraswati brings growth, Daijiworld, 19 Jun 2022. Indira Gandhi Canal forms the Rajasthan section of the revived ancient Saraswati River with numerous Indus-Sarasvati Valley Civilisation sites along its course, rest being in upstream Haryana-Punjab and downstream Gujarat.
Etymology
Names of the canal and its branches
Previously named as the Rajasthan Canal after the state of Rajasthan it irrigates, it was renamed as the Indira Gandhi Canal following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal is named after the Sagarmal Gopa (1900-1946 CE), a freedom fighter from Jaisalmer.
Baba Ramdev Sub-branch Canal (BRSB Canal) is named after the Baba Ramdev (1352–1385 CE, 1409–1442 Vikram Samvat), a 14th-century Hindu rishi (sage), who has a shrine at Ramdevra village situated about 12 km to the north of Pokhran. Baba Ramdev Sub-branch Canal was initially named the Gadra Road Sub-Branch after the Gadra Road town by which it flows, then renamed as Barkatulla Khan sub-branch after the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Barkatullah Khan (r. 1971–73), and finally renamed to its present name Baba Ramdev Sub-branch Canal.
Shaheed Birbal Branch Canal (SBB Canal) is named after the Birbal Singh, an Indian freedom fighter from Raisinghnagar who was killed in firing by Bikaner princely state police in 1946.
Saraswati Rupa Rajasthan Canal
Saraswati Rupa Rajasthan Canal, also known as the Indira Gandhi Canal, is named after the sacred Saraswati River, whose paleochannel the Indira Gandhi Canal now follows. In 1980, when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Rajasthan Canal, as it was officially known at the time, one inscription on its bank referred to it as the "Saraswati Rupa Rajasthan Canal." The scientific research proves that this canal follows the paleochannel of rig vedic Sarasvati River.
History
1940-2010: Rajasthan Canal project
The idea of bringing the waters from the Himalayan Rivers flowing through Punjab and into Pakistan was conceived by hydraulic engineer Kanwar Sain in the late 1940s. Sain estimated that of desert land in Bikaner and the northwest corner of Jaisalmer could be irrigated by the stored waters of the Punjab rivers. In 1960, the Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan, which gave India the right to use the water from three rivers: the Satluj, Beas, and Ravi. The plan for the Rajasthan Canal at that time envisioned the use of , 9,400 hm³ of water.Ramtanu Maitra: The Indira Gandhi Canal: greening the desert in India EIR Volume 14, Number 7, February 13, 1987
The canal faced severe financial constraints, neglect, and corruption. Stage I was completed in 1983 around 20 years behind the completion schedule, stage .
The Canal was constructed in two stages.
1958-1986: Stage-I construction
Stage I consists of the construction of the
Rajasthan Feeder Canal, from Harike barrage in Firozpur district of Punjab to Masitawali (Hanumangarh) in Rajasthan, and Indira Gandhi Main Canal's section from Masitawali (in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan) to Pugal (in Bikaner district of Rajasthan). Stage I also included constructing a distributary canal system of about in length.
Stage I was completed in 1983-86, more than 20 years behind the original completion schedule.
1992-2010: Stage-II construction
Stage II involved the construction of
Indira Gandhi Main Canal's long section from Pugal (Bikaner) to Mohangarh (Jaisalmer) distributary canal network of . revised distributary canal network: The main canal was planned to be wide at the top and wide at the bottom with a water depth of . Scheduled to be completed by 1971, facing delays, the plan was revised in 1970, and it was decided that the entire canal would be lined with concrete tiles. Five more lift schemes were added, and the flow command of Stage II was increased by . With increased requirements, the total length of main, feeder, and distribution canals was about . Stage II was completed in 2010, around 15 years behind the original completion schedule.
1984: Renamed as Indira Gandhi Canal
On 2 November 1984, following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Rajasthan Canal was officially renamed as the Indira Gandhi Canal.
Course and branches
Main course
Indira Gandhi Canal's main course is divided into the following four subsections:
Rajasthan Feeder Canal (RF Canal), N-SW flowing long course begins in Punjab at Harike Barrage, immediate downstream from the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in Ferozepur district at Harike village 35 km south of Taran Taran city and 45 km northeast of Firozpur city, and flows a short distance through northwest part of Haryana state, it ends at Masitawali village 30 km southeast of Hanumangarh city in northwest Rajasthan.
Indira Gandhi Main Canal (IGM Canal), N-SW flowing long course begins at Masitawali at the end of Rajasthan Feeder Canal and then it sequentially traverses through western districts of Rajasthan, namely Hanumangarh, Bikaner, Phalodi, Jaisalmer, before ending at Mohangarh village 60 km northeast of Jaisalmer city.
Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal (SGB Canal), E-W flowing long course begins at Mohangarh at the end of Indira Gandhi Main Canal, and continues to flow west before ending at Gunjangarh-Ramgarh villages 70 km northwest of Jaisalmer city.
Baba Ramdev Sub-branch Canal (BRSB Canal), N-S flowing , it begins at Gunjangarh-Ramgarh at the end of E-W flowing Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal where it turns south and flows toward Gadra Road town (6 km from India–Pakistan border, 86 km west of Barmer city, and 40 km east of beating retreat border ceremony) at Munabao border crossing to Pakistan).
Branches
Indira Gandhi Main Canal
Indira Gandhi Main Canal has seven gravity branches mainly on the northern bank and seven lift irrigation branches mainly on the southern bank:
Gravity flow branch canals
Flow due to gravity without a lift irrigation system.
North bank of Indira Gandhi Canal towards the India-Pakistan Border Suratgarh Branch Canal (SB Canal) serves the Ganganagar district. Anupgarh Branch Canal (AB Canal), serves the Ganganagar district. Poogal Branch Canal (PB Canal) serves the Ganganagar district. Dator Branch Canal (DB Canal), serves the Bikaner district. Birsalpur Branch Canal (BS Canal) serves the Bikaner district. Charanwal Branch Canal (CB Canal) serves Bikaner and Jaisalmer districts. Shaheed Birbal Branch Canal (SBB Canal) serves Jaisalmer district. South bank of Indira Gandhi Canal towards Aravali range Rawatsar Branch Canal (RB Canal) serves the Hanumangarh district.
Lift canals
There are a total of seven lift canals. These are all on the southern bank of the main Indira Gandhi Canal and require lift irrigation due to a lack of gravitational flow:
Chaudhary Kumbha Ram Arya Lift Canal (Gandheli-Sahwa Lift Project or Aapni Scheme), irrigates Hanumangarh, Churu and Jhunjhunu districts, longest lift canal of Indira Gandhi Canal after counting all its subsidiary branches, named after Kumbha Ram Arya (10 May 1914 – 26 October 1995) - a freedom fighter and parliamentarian. Kanwar Sen Lift Canal, irrigates north-southern Bikaner, the longest stand-alone lift canal of Indira Gandhi Canal without counting its subsidiary branches, named after Kanwar Sen, who was the chief engineer in the Bikaner state who came up with the idea of Rajasthan Canal. Panna Lal Lift Canal, irrigates Nagaur district via southcentral Bikaner, named after Pannalal Barupal (6 April 1913 – 19 May 1983) - an independence activist and Indian politician representing the Ganganagar Lok Sabha seat. Veer Tejaji Lift Canal, irrigates southernmost Bikaner, the shortest Lift Canal, named after Veer Teja. Dr. Karni Singh Lift Canal, irrigates Phalodi and Jodhpur districts, named after Karni Singh (21 April 1924 – 6 September 1988) - last Maharaja of Bikaner State. Guru Jambheshwar Lift Canal, irrigates Phalodi district, named after Guru Jambheshwar. Jai Narayan Vyas Lift Canal, irrigates southeast Jaisalmer district, named after Jai Narayan Vyas (18 February 1899 – 14 March 1963) - third chief minister of the State of Rajasthan.
Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal
Branches of Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal (SGB Canal), which serves Jaisalmer district and is named after Sagarmal Gopa, are as follows.
Lilwa Sub-Branch Canal (LSB Canal) also begins at Mihangarh, where Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal begins. Digha Sub-Branch Canal (DSB Canal) also begins at Mohangarh, where Sagarmal Gopa Branch Canal begins.
Impact
After the construction of the Indira Gandhi Canal, potable drinking water and irrigation facilities became available over an area of in Jaisalmer district and in Barmer district. Mustard, cotton, and wheat now grow in this semi-arid Thar desert region of northwestern India, where nothing grew earlier. However, many people question whether the project has achieved its full potential, as more land can still be brought under irrigation if more water becomes available.
Future development
Revival of paleo rigvedic Sarasvati River
The research by the Vaidik Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan (lit. Vaidik Saraswati River Research Centre) at Jodhpur, Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (SHDB) at Kurukshetra, India's space agency ISRO, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) shows that the course of Indira Gandhi Canal follows one of the paleochannels of rigvedic Sarasvati River.