Farmers in Sirsa suffer as canal water floods fields

Despite the district administration’s assurance of full preparedness for potential flooding from the Ghaggar, two major canal breaches in just three days have exposed the claims. With only 8,000 cusecs currently flowing in the river, far below its 20,000 cusec capacity, the collapse of the embankments has sparked concern among local farmers and villagers. Over Rs 4.64 crore has reportedly been spent under MGNREGA for clearing banks of canals branching from the Ghaggar. The issue was also highlighted at a DISHA committee meeting on July 3, where local MPs and MLAs questioned the irrigation department’s claims. Photos shared at the meeting showed many areas still clogged with vegetation.

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On Thursday, there was a breach in SGC canal near Kuttabad village, flooding around 500 acres. A day later, the GBMS Kharif Channel breached between Dhottar and Kharia, submerging 1,500 acres and washing away part of a nearby road. Two men on a motorbike fell into the crater created by the broken road; one died, and the other was seriously injured.

Local farmers Mahender Singh, Rajaram, and others said only surface cleaning was done. Many burrows made by animals still remain in the embankments. With weak, muddy banks and poor repairs, the risk of more breaches remains high. The farmers accused the authorities of wasting money “like water” but ignoring ground realities.

Officials argue that tree roots and the earthen structure of the embankments contribute to water seepage. In the past two months, hundreds of illegal pipes were removed from the canals, but the soil wasn’t properly restored, leaving the embankments even weaker.

As a result of these failures, nearly 2,000 acres of crops have already been flooded. Farmers now patrol the canal banks themselves to prevent further damage. The irrigation department has also formed monitoring teams and cancelled staff leaves.

Sandeep Sharma, Executive Engineer, admitted that although cleaning work was carried out under MGNREGA, some breaches occurred due to seepage near tree roots.

Meanwhile, local MP Kumari Selja said she had been warning the government for months to strengthen embankments and clean the canals properly, especially since many villages in Sirsa were flood-prone. In a recent meeting, she accused irrigation officials of making false claims.