RAHIM YAR KHAN: Farmers from several villages in the Bhandi area protested on Saturday against the unavailability of irrigation water in the Gullan Minor canal, alleging water theft and corruption by irrigation department staff in Chak 206-P.

Bhandi is about 35 kilometres from Sadiqabad near the Punjab-Sindh border. The Gullan Minor is fed by the Sadiq Branch canal at headworks near Chak 160-P.

Dozens of farmers from Chaks 198-P to 210-P, along with residents of several smaller settlements, gathered at Gullan Minor in Chak 206-P. Led by Syed Tafsir Shah, Asghar Khalti and Nisar Ahmed, the protesters shared their grievances about the acute water shortage.

They said 50,000 acres in the area had turned barren due to the lack of irrigation water. Since the underground water is brackish, villagers said they were even struggling to access drinking water for themselves and their livestock, forcing many to migrate from the region. They accused the irrigation staff of selling water to influential farmers in upstream villages who bribed officials, leaving tail-end areas dry. The farmers alleged that the staff charged Rs600 to Rs1,000 per hour for illegal water supply by enlarging outlets or installing unauthorised tube connections.

They also said that when farmers raised complaints against irrigation officials, the staff were transferred but often returned to their previous posts through political influence. They added that the problem had persisted for two years, but since January 2025, the canal had run completely dry, preventing the sowing of cotton and sugarcane.

When contacted, Senior Irrigation Engineer Khalid Mehmood Chaudhry said the canal would remain dry as long as water theft continued. He said he had taken notice of the issue and sent the sub-divisional officer of Gullan Minor to the affected area.

He said that no farmer from the region had ever approached his office with a complaint. About the corruption allegations, he declined to comment over the phone and advised this correspondent to visit his office.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2025