Farmers call for canal maintenance

The Rakh Rajba Ghamun Mender canal, which irrigates hundreds of acres of land, was built a long time ago and its structure has weakened.

In many places, temporary earthen dykes are constructed to channel water towards the land of farmers. The canal has several outlets that distribute water among various localities. However, the conduits from the main canal have been altered to supply more or less water than allocated.

A local farmer, Muhammad Nawaz Hanjra, alleged that some officials of the irrigation department favour big landowners by diverting water to them, depriving growers at the tail end of the canal. Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken to address the problem, he lamented.

Another farmer, Haji Jamil Ahmad, also accused the department of only cleaning certain sections of the canal while neglecting others. He claimed that maintenance work is done superficially, and reports of completion of the work are submitted without proper inspection.

When farmers need water in the canal, it does not reach the tail end, but during the rainy season, the water outlets of favoured farmers are closed, causing the water level in the canal to rise, breaching the weak embankments, he added.

The farmers construct temporary embankments on their own, he added.

A breach in the canal near Kot Bhattian Hanjra Kalan has affected 40 acres of crops, including maize and vegetables. The water has even flooded farmers' homes.

Area SDO Muhammad Arshad said that canal cleaning is done during the season and the staff works with farmers to construct protective dykes. However, he did not share details about the maintenance, cleaning, and deployment of staff.

The farmers called for proper cleaning and construction of permanent gates to prevent a disaster.