Farmers’ convention: Speakers seek end to irrigation schedule

Say influential farmers were depriving others of their share.

BAHAWALPUR: Speakers at a convention on Sunday demanded an end to distribution of canal water in accordance with a schedule prepared by Irrigation Department.

They said with the schedule in place, rich farmers were getting more water than their share by bribing the Irrigation Department officials.  They said water should instead be available to all farmers at all times.

Labor-Farmer Unity (LFU) District President Chaudhry Altaf Chadhar said more than 90 per cent of canal outlets in Rahim Yar Khan had been broken by influential farmers to steal water. He said his organisation would send a request to the office of the chief minister to take notice of water theft. He said farmers who owned land in the tail-ends of the canals were affected by theft of water by influential farmers with lands near headworks.

The convention was held at Chak 105P in Rahim Yar Khan.

LFU President Chadhar said his organisation would call a protest in the next week and besiege the office of the district coordination officer if action was not taken against water theft.

He said corruption of up to Rs550 million could be prevented by plugging breaches by influential farmers to steal water.Former MPA Chaudhry Zahid Hameed Gujjar urged the farmers to unite against corrupt officials of the Irrigation Department. Chaudhry Abdul Aziz Ali Sher, Shayan Hameed Gujjar and Gul Hassan Jona were also present at the convention.

XEN (Irrigation) Mukhtar Ahmed Danish rejected the allegations. He said they were carrying out a campaign against water theft and had so far collected Rs22.5 million fines.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2012.