Abohar: Canal breached, cotton crop on 600 acres damaged

Abohar, July 10

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A major breach in the Malukpura minor (sub-canal) on Sunday inundated cotton crops spread over 600 acres. Farmers said they informed Irrigation Department officials at 5 am but they started reaching by 8 am.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Khosa) state executive member Gunwant Singh said the officials could have minimised the loss by getting water supply reduced from the headworks but they did not rise to the occasion. Kerakhera village sarpanch Ram Kumar said about 200 ft of erosion had occurred in the canal.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Senu Duggal inspected the canal. She said the Malukpura Canal started from the Abohar Branch canal in Muktsar that comes out of Sirhind Feeder canal. The breach occurred owing to the huge water flow after heavy rain in the upper areas. The DC claimed that the department took action to prevent the other bank of the canal from collapsing. She said the damage caused to the farmers would be assessed.