Sirsa court halts dismantling of 15-year-old irrigation pipelines

In a key ruling, a local civil court in Sirsa has issued an interim stay order restraining the state government from dismantling underground irrigation pipelines that have been in use for over 15 years. The court barred the authorities from taking action against pipelines laid by Vikas Kumar and other farmers in Kharian village, located in Sirsa district.

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The plaintiff, Vikas Kumar, represented by Advocate Vikas Dhillon, informed the court that he and a co-sharer own agricultural land situated at the tail end of the Kharian Minor canal system. He stated that around 15 years ago, he had laid underground pipelines from the Ghaggar-Bani-Sahdeva Link Channel to irrigate his fields using flood water, without causing harm to other farmers or the irrigation infrastructure. He also pointed out that over 500 farmers in the area have installed similar pipelines at their own cost to promote efficient water use.

Kumar alleged that government officials, acting under political pressure, are now attempting to remove these pipelines, which would cause irreparable damage to him and many others. To address the government’s concerns about over-extraction, he assured the court that no electric motors would be used to draw water.

In response, the government pleader stated that the Executive Engineer of Sirsa had ordered the removal of such pipelines based on complaints from local panchayats. The state argued that some farmers were indeed using electric motors, leading to excessive and unfair extraction of canal water.

However, the court observed that the state could not provide evidence proving that Vikas Kumar’s pipelines disrupted the water supply to other farmers. It also highlighted that since these pipelines were laid at the tail-end of the canal system, their impact on upstream users was minimal.

Judge Gagandeep Goyal, presiding over the matter, ruled in favour of the farmers, stating that while the pipelines must not be removed, the plaintiffs are strictly prohibited from using electric motors to draw water. Any violation of this condition, the court warned, would result in the lifting of the interim stay.

The next hearing has been scheduled for July 31, 2025, by which time the government is expected to file its written reply.

Notably, the Irrigation Department in Sirsa has already dismantled hundreds of such pipelines connected to flood canals fed by the Ghaggar River, leading to clashes between farmers and officials in several areas. While the department claims these unauthorised pipelines hinder water flow to tail-end villages, farmers argue that the pipelines were laid legally and at their own cost, amounting to several lakhs of rupees. They demand that the focus should be on ensuring fair water distribution, not dismantling infrastructure developed through community effort.