RAHIM YAR KHAN: A 70-foot wide breach occurred in the Dallas Branch Canal in Kot Karam Khan area, some 55km from here, in the early hours of Tuesday, inundating nearby fields and mango orchards.

Locals say the breach occurring near stone number 143, was initially 20-foot wide, but because strong water flow it widened to 70 feet.

They say that initially they tried to plug the breach on their own, but as it kept widening they alerted the irrigation department staff concerned which arrived at the spot after two hours.

Explaining the reasons for the breach, sources in irrigation department say Dallas is a non-perennial canal that flows till Oct 4 and after its closure all the work-charge employees, who maintain the canal banks, are relieved of their duty for the next six months. However, they say, that this year water was again released in the canal suddenly on October 14, resulting in the breach.

They say that because of the breach, the canal water inundated some nearby Bastis (small villages) and damaged dozens of acres of fields of sugarcane and fodder, besides mango orchards.

They say when the neighbouring people started plugging the breach on a self-help basis, irrigation staff arrived there and used heavy machinery for the purpose.

Meanwhile, they say, irrigation department officials suspended water supply to the canal from the Degi Headworks near Rajanpur Kalan and converted the water flow to Degi Escape channel which throws additional water into the river Indus.

The breach was plugged after 5pm, irrigation officials claimed.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2022