200-ft breach in canal, crops on 1,000 acres submerged in Abohar

Cotton and other crops on around 1,000 acres were submerged following a breach in a canal at Malukpura village near Abohar last night. Officials of the Canal Department reached the spot this morning and started the work to plug the breach.

Jagsir Singh and other farmers said they had repeatedly informed the field staff about hundreds of burrows created by rodents etc. near the canal, but no action followed. Now, around 200-foot-wide breach has occurred in the area.

Farmers said the breach had also led to the inundation of about 150 tubewell bores. Some houses had also been waterlogged. The alleged the Canal Department was responsible for the entire damage and the administration should provide them compensation.

Jaswinder Singh Virk, Sub Divisional Officer of the Canal Department, said they got information about the canal breach around 1 am. A message was immediately flashed to the authorities concerned to suspend the water supply in the canal. The department staff reached the spot and repair work was initiated.

MLA Sandeep Jakhar said negligence by the Canal Department had led to repeated breaches in the Abohar area this year, causing heavy losses to the farmers. He said the government had failed in providing water to the farmers living at the tail-end of the canal system. He said Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal should order an inquiry to identify the erring officials and give compensation to the affected farmers.