Fazilka farmers protest scarcity of canal water

Fazilka, July 27

Farmers staged a protest outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here today over the scarcity of canal water at the tail-end villages.

They also submitted a memorandum to the DC demanding the full supply of water. The protest was led by Khanpur village sarpanch Hardip Dhaka. The affected villages of Bareka, Kerian, Bandiwala, Sivana, Muradwala, Shahtirwala, Tilanwali are supplied water from the non-perennial Southern Canal.

Sarpanch Hardip Dhaka has alleged that instead of 300 cusecs of water, they are being supplied only half of it resulting in the drying up of their standing crops of cotton, paddy and ‘moong’.

Dhaka rued that they had to resort to agitation every year to get their share of water.

The villagers have alleged that theft of water is being carried out with impunity by some influential farmers between the areas of Chack Pakhi headworks and Kabulshah headworks.

“The department is releasing water at its sanctioned capacity. The cleaning of the canals has not been carried out this year resulting in loss of water,” said Irinder Walia, Executive Engineer (Canals). He, however, did not rule out the theft of water. — OC