The state irrigation department will focus on unused and unfinished canals built years ago to channel water from the Teesta to farmland on both banks of the river.

Partha Bhowmick, the irrigation minister of Bengal, who reached Jalpaiguri on a three-day visit on Friday, said they plan to use such canals and sub-canals at optimum levels to help farmers of this region.

“There is no immediate need to dig new canals. Instead, we want to revive canals lying unused for years now. Simultaneously, we will also take up the task to complete unfinished stretches of some canals so that water can be given to more farmers,” said Bhowmick, after attending an administrative meeting here.

The Teesta Barrage Project, the largest irrigation project of north Bengal, was initiated in 1975 with a plan to water around 9.22 lakh hectares of agricultural land.

The project, however, has not yet ended due to a number of reasons. Today, water hardly reaches one lakh hectares.

The minister told newspersons that work on certain stretches of some canals could not be finished because of land problems.

“During the next two days, we will visit such sites. If required, we will talk to the land-owners so that the canals can be finished. We will also speak with farmers of those areas,” Bhowmick added.

At the meeting, the minister was also briefed about the rivers of sub-Himalayan Bengal. This monsoon, erosion has been reported on banks of a number of rivers such as the Teesta, the Jaldhaka and the Mal. Also, breaches in embankments, rain cuts and similar damages have occurred in various locations, mostly in the Dooars and Terai.

“The damages will be repaired in due course. Also, we are working on proposals on how to check erosion with scientific methods," he said.