Farmers demand reopening of canal

FAISALABAD:

The Rakh Branch Canal was closed on Tuesday to complete construction work on an underpass. The canal irrigates lands in seven districts, including Faisalabad.

The Irrigation Department took the step following a request by the district administration.

The Jhall Khannuana Chowk underpass was originally scheduled to open for traffic on August 5 (today).

Last week, the local administration had requested the Irrigation Department to close the Rakh Branch Canal for three days. After completion of the construction work, the canal was reopened. However, after a while the walls of underpass started leaking.

The administration once again requested the Irrigation Department then to close its down.

Irrigation Department spokesperson Akram Ali told The Express Tribune that the Lower Chenab Canal West Circle provided water to Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib, Hafizabad, Toba Tek Singh and Chiniot.

“The design capacity of the canal is 1,300 cusecs. We had released 1,150 cusecs, when the Jhall Khannuana underpass started leaking. The administration asked us then to close it down. No date has been fixed so far for its reopening,” he said.

Farmers living on both sides of canal have protested the closure.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Jamshaid Khan, a resident of Chak 224 RB, said that his crops would be badly affected if the canal remained closed for long. “We had to wait for four months for the canal to reopen for the rice growing season. Now it has been closed again. The growers are facing hardship due to the decision. We have no other source to irrigate our fields as the ground water in the area is brackish,” he said.

He said that the Irrigation Department should immediately reopen the canal. “If the canal remains closed, we will stage a protest demonstration,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2015.