Farmers seek more water in irrigation canals

Muktsar, September 7

A large number of farmers on Saturday blocked the Muktsar-Malout road at Rupana village here, demanding the release of more water into the Dabra minor for irrigation purposes. They said the Irrigation Department was releasing water into the Arniwala minor, which further provides water to the Dabra minor, but their fields were drying up due to the release of less water.

Mukhtiar Singh Rana, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, said, “I went to meet the protesters twice, but they did not listen to me and then I returned. We are getting just 70-75 per cent water from the Harike headworks after the floods and we have to supply the water to the villages located at the tail-end parts of the canals as well. Thus, the minors are being run on a rotation basis.”

The protest had started in the afternoon, which was under way at the time of filing this news. — TNS