India, May 23 -- In a major water conservation initiative in the Thar desert, the Rajasthan government has developed a massive artificial reservoir linked to the Indira Gandhi Canal system to ensure year-round drinking water supply for nearly 50 lakh people in Barmer and Jaisalmer districts. Built at a cost of nearly Rs.242 crore, the zigzag-shaped artificial lake has been developed near the 507 RD head of the Indira Gandhi Canal network and linked with the Mohangarh water supply system in Jaisalmer district. The project aims to store excess canal water during the monsoon and use it during canal closure periods and drought-like situations in western Rajasthan. According to Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) officials, the reservoir stretches nearly 28 kilometres in length and has been excavated up to 10 metres (around 33 feet) deep. Officials said the lake has a storage capacity of around 1,413 million cubic feet of water and can store nearly 141 crore litres as a backup reserve for drinking water supply. The filling process has already started, with nearly 500 cusecs of water being released into the reservoir through a specially strengthened escape channel connected to the Indira Gandhi Canal. PHED executive engineer Rampal Mundhiyada said the project was conceived after repeated water crises during annual canal shutdowns in border districts. "Every year the canal remains closed for maintenance for nearly one month, creating severe water shortages in Barmer and Jaisalmer. There was no large storage system earlier where water could be preserved during canal closure," he said. Officials said the reservoir will store excess water flowing through the Indira Gandhi Canal during heavy monsoon inflows from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. During the rainy season, farmers also require less irrigation water, allowing surplus canal water to be diverted and preserved in the reservoir instead of being released downstream. To facilitate this, authorities strengthened an existing escape channel and constructed nearly a one-kilometre-long connecting system equipped with two gates - one to receive water from the canal and another to release it. A major engineering challenge in the desert terrain was preventing seepage into the sandy soil. Officials said nearly 76 lakh square metres of 300-micron HDPE plastic sheets have been laid beneath the lake bed to stop water loss underground. "The sandy soil in desert regions absorbs water very rapidly. If water was stored directly, crores of litres would seep underground. Therefore, a special HDPE lining has been installed below the reservoir," Mundhiyada said....