Crackdown against water theft continues in Punjab

2,597 cases were reported by field teams of the irrigation dept during May

LAHORE: The Punjab irrigation department continued its crackdown against water pilferage in the province during the month of May. During this period, as many as 2,597 cases of water theft were reported by teams from the department.

Out of the cases reported, 1,084 cases were reported to the police and a total of 592 FIRs were registered against the culprits. Officials also arrested 113 people in this period.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Punjab Irrigation Minister Sardar Mohsin Leghari said that curbing theft is vital for ensuring that tail end farmers receive sufficient water for irrigation.

“Because of the crackdowns initiated by the department, several tail end farmers are receiving water for the first time in a long time,” he claimed. The minister expressed his resolve to root out the persistent problem of water pilferage.

“The department has removed a large number of hidden pipes, tempered water outlets and pumps illegally funnelling water from canals throughout the province,” he said. The irrigation minister and the Irrigation Department Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi have personally visited field locations to monitor the operation against water theft.

Earlier, the provincial government repealed the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority Act and replaced it with the Punjab Khal Panchayat Authority Ordinance. The move was meant to curb water theft in areas being managed by farmers’ organisations under the participatory irrigation management system.

However, the old system was not delivering the desired results and there was a need for a complete overhaul, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2019.