SUKKUR: Deluge gushing out after a 20ft-wide break in the dyke of Saifal distributary in Kandhkot-Kashmore district on Friday swept away standing paddy crop and inundated a vast field causing huge losses to growers.

The affected growers told local reporters that the breach occurred due to local irrigation officials’ failure to strengthen the dyke that had remained weak for months. They said the dyke of the distributary emanating from Nazar Wah was washed away due to pressure in water flow at Gulab Khan Jafferi village near Tangwani town.

The villagers claimed that they had informed the officials concerned in time about the breach but neither they nor the labourers and stone pitching material arrived until many acres of land was inundated and the standing crop was washed away.

They said they had started the plugging work on their own soon after the breach and completed the work in hours-long struggle.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2020