DADU, June 7: Two breaches developed at two different spots of the Saleh branch on Friday flooded 500 acres of agricultural land and two fishponds in Mehar taluka area.

A 30-foot-wide breach occurred near Ghari village inundating 300 acres of land and one fishpond. Water continued to flow towards the village and despite complaints made by villagers to irrigation officials no relief teams were sent to the site to plug the breach, according to affected villagers.

One of them, Allah Dino Junejo, said that villagers had to under take the breach plugging work on their own.

A similar breach occurred due to intense water pressure in the tributary near Umedero village inundating 200 acres and destroying vegetable crops, besides submerging a fishpond in the area.

Our Khairpur correspondent adds: Around 200 acres of banana and mango orchards in the command area of Hingorja minor were submerged when a 20-foot-wide breach developed near Gadeji town on Thursday evening.

Villagers managed to plug the breach on their own by Thursday night.

The Khairpur deputy commissioner visited the site on Friday and directed the sub-divisional officer and assistant commissioner concerned to prepare a joint report and extend financial help to the affected growers.

Meanwhile, the weakening Ulra Jagir embankment along the Indus at the Four-Mile point, 35 kilometres from Khairpur, remains to be matter of grave concern for local growers and residents.

The embankment has already been declared vulnerable in the wake of the 2010 floods, after which the embankment was strengthened. Stone pitching was carried out and stone aprons and spars were placed in 2011 to strengthen the dyke.

However, area people say that this appeared to be a temporary arrangement as the stone aprons and spars had now sustained damage and the river was causing cracks in the embankment because of an intense pressure.

The deputy commissioner visited the site a couple of days back along with the executive irrigation engineer and directed the officials concerned to find a permanent solution to the problem.

However, irrigation officials suggested that only the federal flood committee could devise a plan in this regard.

They said that the river usually cut its banks even when the water flow remained steady. They were of the view that the embankment would not crack if water flow increased.