LAKKI MARWAT: The long dry spell has increased the worries of local farmers as their fertile lands are turning barren due to scarcity of water for irrigation.

Many farmers having their lands near rivers Kurrum and Gambila are among the worst affected as water level has gone quite low in the rivers, not enough to irrigate their lands through traditional irrigation channels in Paharkhel Thall, Ihsanpur, Michenkhel and other rural localities.

The unpaved irrigation channels built decades ago are cleaned by farmers on self-help basis every year before start of sowing season. Then farmers divert River Kurrum water to those channels to get their lands irrigated from sowing to harvest. Farmers also pump water to their lands from River Gambila.

“This year water level is very low in both the rivers as the district has not received rains for last two months,” said a grower of Ihsanpur.

The farmers have sowed wheat and other crops as usual but shortage of water has added to their miseries,” he maintained.

Atlas Kamal, a social activist, said farmers feared their labour might go waste if it did not rain in coming days. He said the poor growers had no alternative source of water for irrigation except traditional canals which were lying dry.

The Ihsanpur canal operated by the irrigation department is also of no use for farmers, said the farmers, adding the draught like situation would also badly affect vegetable crops.

They said rich farmers had sunk tubewells to meet water needs for irrigation while poor growers were totally dependent on rains.

The farmers demanded of the government to build small dams on rain-fed watercourses and provide funds for construction of Rod Kohi dykes to store rainwater and then use it for irrigation. They also demanded of the government to improve traditional canal system.

HIDEOUTS OF CRIMINALS DESTROYED: Police on Sunday claimed to have destroyed several hideouts of criminal gangs in hilly Kurrum Par area bordering Karak and Mianwali (Punjab) districts.

An official said the action was launched on the directives of district police officer Asif Gohar. He said the commandos of Elite Force and Quick Response Force backed by armoured personnel carriers also assisted police.

The criminals had dug out caves in mountains and were using these to plan and carry out criminal activities in Lakki, Karak and Mianwali, he said, adding the wanted criminals had left their hideouts before law enforcers reached there.

However, the cops eliminated the hideouts and arrested two facilitators, Dil Nawaz and Arshad, he said, adding gas cylinders, solar panels and two motorcycles were seized.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2018