SANGHAR, Jan 2: A number of canals have been closed this year before scheduled closure time due to shortage of water. All canals, including the Nara canal, were scheduled to be closed from January 6 to January 27 for maintenance and silt removing but this year many canals were closed from December 31.
Sarki minor canal, Bitoor, Jhol, Bijor, Duthro, Thahim and Shahu branch were closed due to shortage of irrigation water and will be opened, according to irrigation officials, in the first week of February.
Many farmers criticized the move and said the unscheduled closure of canals had disturbed their timetable for cultivating crops.
They said the abrupt closure of canals would badly affect wheat, sugar cane and many other crops.
SUGAR CANE: The Sanghar Sugar Mills have asked sugar cane growers to stop cutting the cane for some time as there was over supply of it at the mill.
Hundreds of trucks and tractor trolleys were noticed standing in a queue in front of the mill’s gate.
To reduce the load, the mill had asked the farmers to harvest cane with a brief interval.
The farmers were eager to cut the cane to get their lands cleared for the next crop as they were already late in sowing wheat due to delay in start of crushing by the sugar mills.
The growers expressed fear that they would not be able to sow sunflower and other minor crops.
