Irrigation: Saddar police investigating water theft

Department presses theft charges against owners of all farms getting water from outlets found breached.

RAHIM YAR KHAN:

Saddar police have started investigating a water theft complaint against more than 150 farmers on complaint of an Irrigation Department official.

SHO Chaudhry Muhammad Younis said they would launch an FIR against farmers of Chak 5/p, Kotla Mahi, Hur wala and Wahi Hazarat as soon as the teams sent to the sites returned with evidence.

Sub-divisional officer Chaudhry Muhammad Arshad’s application against the farmers of these villages stated that they were found breaching outlets to steal water for their farms. SDO Arshad told The Express Tribune that the farmers fled the scene as they saw the Irrigation Department team approaching them. He said raids were underway in other villages as well to identify more theft cases.

Executive engineer (Irrigation) Muhabbat Khan said the department presses theft charges against owners of all farms getting water from outlets that are found breached during inspections. He said those found guilty in the matter would be made to pay fines. He said a campaign had been started on directions of the provincial government as a number of theft complaints were received from the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, 25^th, 2012.