PESHAWAR: Farmers have expressed serious concern over the prolonged suspension of irrigation water in Wach Canal and demanded of the provincial government to ensure release of water to avoid further damage to standing crops in suburban localities of the provincial capital.

Talking to mediapersons here on Sunday, a group of farmers belonging to different localities led by fruit traders and gardeners association president Ayub Khan said the irrigation department had suspended water supply in Wach (Warsak-Peshawar) Canal over two months ago for its de-silting which had badly affected their crops.

Speaking on the occasion, Ayub Khan said the water suspension had caused serious financial losses to the farmers of Hazarkhwani, Urmar, Musazai and other adjacent areas. He said de-silting was going on at snail’s pace. He said the well-off land owners had arranged solar tubewells to irrigate their farms but the poor growers were totally dependent on the canal water for the purpose.

He said the money spent by farmers on purchase of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides would go to waste if irrigation water was not released without delay. “We won’t be able to get the anticipated yield in case the water is not released immediately,” the farmers’ representative added.

Ayub Khan demanded of Governor Shah Farman to order immediate release of water from the canal.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021