RAHIM YAR KHAN: A 40-foot wide breach occurred in the Sadiq Feeder Canal near the Wahi Jumman Shah area of the towns of Tarinda Sawaye Khan and Kot Samaba on Thursday.

According to local residents, there was a 20-foot breach at noon in front of Basti Muhammad Nagar on the left bank of the canal. Due to the full water flow in the canal, it quickly widened to 40 feet. Some reports said the breach was now 80 foot wide. Water inundated the nearby early sown cotton crop, fodder fields and mango and citrus orchards as well as parts of surrounding localities.

The canal water entered many neighbouring localities and reached Kot Samaba town in the evening, forcing its residents to shift to safer places with their cattle and belongings.

The Basti Balochan, Basti Malik Shafi, Basti Noonari and Basti Dari Mochi were also affected by the canal water.

District Emergency Officer Dr Adil Rehman and Rescue 1122 staff reached the affected areas. He said the rescue officials made announcements through loudspeakers of mosques, instructing the people to shift to safer places. The rescuers were also helping those who needed help.

Some residents of Kot Samaba said the irrigation department staff did not come to plug the breach, which had widened up to 80 feet. They said the supply of water from the head was not suspended by the officials, which is worsening the situation. At 6pm, the water crossed the Shahi Road that connected Rahim Yar Khan and Khanpur.

People from the local villages started their efforts to plug the breach on their own in absence of officials from the irrigation department or district administration.

Irrigation Executive Engineer (EXEN) Hafiz Mehmood told Dawn that Abbasia Link Canal was a big canal, originating from Abbasia Feeder Canal at Head Tallaywala near Jetha Butha town of tehsil Khanpur. Its routine flow of water was 2,000 cusecs but on Thursday the flow was 1,800 cusecs.

He said that the canal banks were made with bricks but the reason for the breach was yet to be ascertained.

Mr Mehmood claimed that the revenue and irrigation officials were calculating the loss of crops where flooding occurred and efforts were underway to plug the breach.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2025