Water everywhere: Five villages affected in canal breach

Irrigation Dept officials repairing the breach, DCO says

MULTAN: Scores of houses and a graveyard close to Makhdoom Rasheed Distributary were inundated after a 30-feet breach of the canal bank near Bengalwala village.

According to officials of the Irrigation Department, the breach had occurred at Rango Pul, Rasheed Road. They said crops on almost 250 acres in five villages had been affected.

Several residents of the villages told The Express Tribune that they did not get any emergency help. “We worked together to shift our cattle and valuables to a safer location,” one of the residents said.

Many villagers had gathered at the site of the breach to help repair the bank. “The machinery required to fix the breach is on its way. The breach will be fixed in no time,” an official of the Irrigation Department said.



Multan DCO Nadir Chattha said he was monitoring the situation. He said the government was helping the villagers.

He said the situation was under control and arrangements to deal with an untoward situation had been made. “The district government is aware of the situation…the biggest threat at this point is the rising level of water in River Chenab.”

The DCO said officials of the Irrigation Department were busy repairing the breach. “The district government has constituted teams to provide the affected people relief.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2016.