Cracks in renovated canal alarm farmers

It was a worrisome situation for farmers and an embarrassing state of affairs for officials of the Irrigation Department when water was recently released for the first time after the renovation of the canal system on the tributary meant to supply irrigation water to the area.

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The renovation of the tributary, part of the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) originating from Pakhoke village, was completed just two months ago. When the water, released to irrigate fields in Bath and Naurangabad villages, made its way to the tail-end fields, a crack appeared near Kang village, causing panic among farmers. They feared being deprived of crucial irrigation water for their paddy crop at the peak of the season.

Local farmers, Charanjit Singh Bath, Baldev Singh Pandori, Pargat Singh Jamarai, Rashpal Singh, Balwinder Singh, Lovejit Singh and others, said they had repeatedly raised concerns with Irrigation Department officials about the use of substandard materials during the renovation. However, their complaints were ignored. The farmers are now demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged use of inferior materials in the construction.

The appearance of cracks in the tributary during the very first water release left the farmers, who had high hopes for their paddy cultivation, distressed and anxious about the water supply.

Arun Kumar, SDO of the UBDC Jandiala Guru Division, expressed his dissatisfaction and called the situation awkward and unfortunate for the department. He stated that the contractor is responsible for maintenance for one year and has been instructed to carry out immediate repairs to ensure the uninterrupted supply of canal water to the farmers as per schedule.