PESHAWAR: The farmers of Peshawar’s villages have expressed concern about delay in the release of sufficient water in the Warsak-Zangli irrigation canal and feared that an irreparable loss will be caused to a vast population if the issue is not resolved immediately.

They said they would vote for the candidates, who assured them of the supply of irrigation water after election.

During a visit to different villages, including Badbher, Zangli, Maryamzai and Muslimabad, Dawn learned from the people that majority of the people depended on agricultural yield but they had to wait for rains as the sole irrigation water canal had dried up for many years and the government was least bothered about paying attention to the problem.

Demand funds for de-silting of Warsak-Zangli canal

“The local residents have begun calling the canal ‘wach neher’ (dry canal) as water is not released in it and the people have to wait for rains,” nazim of Maryamzai neighbourhood Sajid Khan said.

He said only influential people could use the water in few villages by making big holes in the canal and the remaining villages had to suffer.

The nazim said in the past the entire suburban villages availed the opportunity to grow various kinds of crops, vegetables to meet their routine expenditures but the agricultural activities in the localities had come to a standstill since the suspension of irrigation water in the Warsak-Zangli canal.

He said the residents had voted for the PTI for the second tenure and that the former minister (current KP Governor Shah Farman) had repeatedly promised before election to resolve the water issue but didn’t do anything thereafter.

Mr Sajid said the people had announced that in the Oct 21 by-election for PK-71 Peshawar, they would support a candidate, who assured them of water supply to the canal.

He said Shah Farman had vacated the seat after appointment as the governor but his brother, the by-election candidate, won’t be win if the issue was not resolved.

The nazim said in the past, the locals grew crops and vegetables but the water supply had been stopped for five years causing shortage of drinking water in the local tubewells.

Another resident, Amir Khan, said some influential people had enlarged canal holes to get the most of water for own farms and therefore, water didn’t reach other landowners.

Farmer Mujahid Khan said thousands of acres of the fertile land of Maryamzai, Badabher, Mattani, Zangli, Sra Khaora had become barren with locals facing serious financial problems for having no other source of income.

He said the PTI leadership had always used the irrigation canal for obtaining votes from the people but did not do anything in that respect.

The resident said Governor Shah Farman had promised to resolve the issue but that had yet to happen.

“Water has been released after many years but it is so insufficient that it doesn’t reach the end of the canal,” he said.

He said the canal could irrigate around 46,400 acres of land in Peshawar villages.

“Water can’t reach the canal’s end due to its length, which is 186,400 feet (from Warsak to Baghawanan area),” he said.

Mohammad Ali suggested that the government allocate sufficient funds for the revival of the canal by de-silting and ensure supply of irrigation water to the end of the canal all through the year.

He also demanded action against the farmers, who have enlarged canal holes to get most water for own farms.

“Some local influential people are exploiting the poor farmers by availing themselves of the maximum water. The officials of irrigation department are too helpless to take action against them,” he said asking the governor to fulfil his election commitments.

He also demanded solar tubewells in all villages to supply water to the people and enable them to restore the greenery of the dried fertile farms.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2018