KASUR: Farmers hold the irrigation staff concerned responsible for a 15-foot-wide breach occurring for the second time in a week in Landianwala minor canal, inundating their standing crops at the village with the same name (Landiawala) in Chunian tehsil on Saturday.

According to local farmers, this was the second breach in the canal in a week.

Earlier, on Monday last, the Landianwala minor canal had developed a breach submerging their crops, including vegetables and fodder, they said.

They said on Monday, the locals had plugged the breach on self-help basis, while the irrigation department staff concerned just visited the spot as a formality and did nothing to help the affected farmers.

An affected farmer, requesting anonymity said, had the irrigation officials taken the issue seriously and properly plugged the breach, the farmers might not have to face the trouble for the second time.

Holding the irrigation department officials responsible for their losses, the farmers demanded Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz to take notice of the incident and order a probe into it so that those showing negligence could be punished.

Executive Engineering (irrigation) Javid Rasool was not available for his comments despite repeated phone calls and text messages.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2022