MUZAFFARGARH, Aug 25: Farmers at the tail-end of the Ghazi Ghat union council are still deprived of canal water despite releasing of water in a minor canal 13 years after its completion.

Farmers are forced to irrigate hundreds of acres of land through tubewells and peter engines while the irrigation department regularly charges abiana (water cess) from them.

Unavailability of canal water is rendering an extensive cultivable land virtually barren.

In 1993, then MNA Malik Ghulam Arbi Khar had given Rs4.4 million funds for the construction of Bakhtawar minor, emanated from Maggassin Canal in Taunsa, to irrigate thousands of acres of land. Although the project was completed in 1994, water could not be released in the minor canal before 2007.

Ghazi Ghat UC nazim Nasir Almani told Dawn that the Irrigation department had released water after a long wait, but it never reached the tail-end because of a heavy silt.

He said the irrigation department charged water tax from the farmers in millions without supplying water to them.

Hundreds of acres of land was left without cultivation as cotton and sugarcane crops needed much water and farmers could not afford diesel and electricity, he said.

Besides Bakhtawar minor, four other minor canals — Upper Dinga, Upper Qureshi, Upper Bhangar and Dabi

Shah Manner — emanate from Maggassan Canal.

Wan Pitafi UC nazim Iqbal Pitafi said that farmers at the tail-end got no water as all the five minor canals were full of mud and garbage because of the absence of any desilting drive by the irrigation department.

He claimed that contractor Muhammad Imran, who had been given a Rs8 million contract for desilting the minor canal by the department through a tender, had not completed the work.

Almani said they had submitted an application to DCO Akhtar Nazir Warraich and provincial ombudsman against Irrigation XEN Muhammad Sami and contractor Muhammad Imran for their involvement in corruption in desilting of the Bakhtawar minor canal.

He said irrigation officials had permitted illegal distributaries from the minor canal that never allowed the water to reach the tail-end.

Farmer Allah Rakha alleged that anyone could increase the size of `moga’ after paying Rs20,000 to irrigation officials.

XEN Muhammad Sami was unavailable for his comments as he kept his cell phone powered off.

Muhammad Hafeez, DG Khan division Chief Engineer, said it was not a big issue to be taken it `seriously’. He said he had nothing to do with the matter now as he was transferred to the Multan division.

When contacted, DCO Akhtar Nazir Warraich said that he would himself conduct an inquiry into the corruption case.