Karnal: With syphon clogged, farmers fear another deluge

Parveen Arora

Karnal, June 16

Farmers of nearly 20 villages of the Nilokheri block are worried about the threat of floods as a syphon remains uncleaned for a long time. The farmers said that this major drain, running from Borsham village to Bhukhapuri and which also passes under the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal and the Bhakra Canal, is blocked at various points and requires urgent repairs.

The locals have approached the authorities concerned multiple times to urge them to clean and repair the syphon but no steps have been taken so far, the farmers allege.

With the monsoon approaching, farmers have escalated their efforts by writing a letter to the Chief Minister, pleading him for immediate intervention.

Chief minister Urged to intervene

We have been running from pillar to post, requesting the authorities concerned to clean and repair the syphon, but to no avail. We have now written a letter to the CM. The situation is such not only in the Nilokheri block, but across the whole district as well. — Inderjit Singh Goraya, Farmer leader

“We have been running from pillar to post, requesting the cleaning and repair of the syphon, but to no avail. We have now written a letter to the CM,” said Inderjit Singh Goraya, a farmer leader and national spokesperson for All India Kisan Congress.

“The situation is such not only in the Nilokheri block, but across the whole district as well because major syphons and rainwater drains have not been cleaned. They should be cleaned before the monsoon, so that rainwater is drained out without obstruction,” he added.

Rishpal Singh, a farmer from Borsham, said last year, their crops had suffered significant damage because the syphon was clogged with mud floodwater was thus not drained out.

Chamkar Singh, a farmer, said they had suffered huge losses due to the floods last year as the syphon was not cleaned for a long time. “We have brought the issue to the notice of the authorities concerned. Despite our repeated efforts, no remedial action has been taken so far,” he said.

Isham Singh, another farmer, said the syphon should be cleaned before the monsoon, so that the crops in the area are safe.

Superintending Engineer (SE) Sanjay Rahar said the issue was brought to his notice and directions had already been issued to official concerned to clean the syphon in a couple of days. “Our priority is to safeguard farmers’ interests. We will ensure the cleaning of syphons and rainwater drains at the earliest,” said Rahar.