Iron grill stolen from KBL canal gate, no police complaint yet

The iron grill installed around gear boxes on the bridge of Kasur Branch Lower (KBL) canal near the ghrat (grinding) in Rasulpur village was stolen a week back but officials of the Canal Department were still unaware of it. It is for this that no complaint of theft has been lodged with the police as yet. Farmers of the nearby areas said here today that it was a solid and precious grill installed in 1962 at the time of the construction of the Kasur Branch Lower (KBL) canal which was part of the Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) which was commissioned in 1914 for the cultivation of an area of 1.7 million acres in the Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal and Khanewal districts and was related to history.

The farmers of Rasulpur village said that the grill was not only for the protection of gear machinery but also for the protection for workers who go to the top to handle the flow of water in the canal. The farmers said that this iron grill was not only strong and solid but precious too. They said that a few days back, the thieves came at night with a gas cutter in a tractor-trailer like vehicle. After managing to cut it in over two hours, they managed to escape freely from the spot. It was not noticed by the police though officials claimed that night patrolling is carried out to check crime and theft incidents.

When contacted, Simranjit Singh, Executive Engineer, Canal Department, said he was unaware of the incident because of which no complaint has been lodged with the police till date.