The irrigation department in Rahim Yar Khan has yet to issue a schedule for the annual and six-month cleaning of canals, despite a clear directive from Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi seven days ago.
The prolonged negligence in canal maintenance has now endangered the world's largest canal system along the soil banks in the district.
The accumulation of silt in the canals and the weakening of riverbanks pose severe threats.
In the past year, Rahim Yar Khan witnessed 23 canal-breaking incidents, leading to widespread destruction of crops across thousands of acres.
Illegal canals on Abbasia Link Canal, Dallas Branch, Panjnad Canal, Aab-e-Hayat, Adam Sahaba, Saadiq Canal, and Headworks along the Chenab River persist, signalling a failure in eliminating unauthorised water channels.
The delayed canal cleaning, coupled with alleged embezzlement of funds earmarked for periodic maintenance, has left the canal system along the Head Panjnad—from Head Panjnad to Rahim Yar Khan—vulnerable to potential disasters.
Approximately 251 small and large canals, crucial for transporting water from the Head Panjnad to Rahim Yar Khan, face imminent danger due to eroding soil along their banks.
Major canals, including Abbasia Link Canal, Dallas Branch, Panjnad Canal, Aab-e-Hayat, Adam Sahaba, Saadiq Canal, and various Headworks, have suffered extensive damage due to soil erosion and lack of maintenance.
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Recent years have seen weakened canal banks due to heavy rains and illegal activities by the timber mafia. The recurring incidents of canal breaks have led to substantial losses for farmers in terms of damaged crops.
Farmers' Protection Movement Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Yaseen has urgently called on the government to initiate immediate canal cleaning in Rahim Yar Khan and surrounding areas to avert severe agricultural losses.
All Pakistan Kisan Foundation Chairman Syed Mahmoodul Haq Bukhari criticised the irrigation department's temporary approach to canal cleaning, alleging that funds are misused every year.
The Head Panjnad, responsible for supplying water from Head Panjnad to Rahim Yar Khan, reportedly faces the theft of 2,200 cusecs of water through illegal means, severely impacting thousands of farmers in Tehsil Rahim Yar Khan and Sadikabad.
While Chief Minister Naqvi's recent commitment to comprehensive canal cleaning for improved water supply to crops is acknowledged, the lack of visible action from the Irrigation Department in Rahim Yar Khan demands urgent attention.
Addressing issues of illegal canals and water theft from the Head Panjnad is crucial to preventing further losses for farmers in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2024.
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