Canals run dry, farmers protest

Fazilka, July 7

Activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) staged a protest at the Chughewala head against the scarcity of water in Jalalabad.

Union’s Fazilka district vice-president Gurwinder Singh Mannewal alleged the government had promised to supply requisite water during the paddy season, which had begun a month ago, but farmers were still facing shortage.

He alleged the Nizamwah distributary, which originates from the Chugewala head and its minor canals Barkatwah, Faizwah and Nidhana, was not carrying enough water as a result of which the farmers had been left high and dry.

SDO (Canals) Sunil Kumar said due to the scarcity of water at the upstream, the water was being released only 20 cusecs instead of 350 cusecs in the Nizamwah distributary. Now, the water flow has further been increased. He clarified that the water outlets which were tampered with by some persons had been altered and water would reach to the tail-end villages soon. — OC