DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Repair work on the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) near Paharpur here has come to a halt again, triggering concern among farmers who fear that further delays will affect the cultivation of major crops and cause heavy financial losses.
The canal developed a breach around one and a half months ago, damaging crops and nearby settlements. Repair work began afterward but authorities stopped it on Tuesday without citing any reason.
A delegation of the Dera Ismail Khan Chamber of Agriculture, led by its president, Haji Abdul Rashid Dhap, visited the site. Agricultural scientist and farmer leader Ramzan Baloch and landowner Malik Iqbal Khar were also present. A large number of farmers gathered at the site and expressed concern over the sudden suspension of work.
Mr Dhap said the CRBC originated in Punjab’s Mianwali district, passed through the Chashma Barrage and Dera Ismail Khan and extended towards Dera Ghazi Khan.
Farmers fear delay in cultivation of major crops
He said around 375,000 acres of agricultural land in Dera Ismail Khan depended on the canal for irrigation.
Expressing concern over the priorities of the previous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the chamber leader alleged that it had allocated Rs100 billion for beautification projects but failed to set aside even Rs2 billion for repairing the irrigation system.
He said the canal had been damaged at different times over the last four years and that the latest breach had brought water flow to a complete halt in the affected section.
Mr Dhap added that the canal had suffered repeated flood damage since 2022 and that several sections had deteriorated over time.
He said repair work had been completed only last year when another breach occurred last month due to pressure from the water flow.
The chamber leader attributed the recurring damage partly to inadequate annual maintenance and warned that if repairs continued at the current pace, the cultivation of wheat, rice and sugarcane could be affected, causing substantial losses to farmers.
He said Dera Ismail Khan was a food basket for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country, so a prolonged canal disruption could reduce agricultural production, badly affecting government revenue generated by the farming sector.
Farmer leader Baloch said the district had almost every major type of agricultural soil, including rocky, sandy, saline, heavy clay and loamy soils. He added that the area also had alkaline and sodic soils with high levels of sodium and salts.
Mr Baloch said the quality of irrigation water was particularly important for such land.
“If the soil contains high levels of sodium or salts and is irrigated with poor-quality water, the land will be damaged to reduce its productivity,” he said.
The farmer leader warned that continued disruption of the canal could aggravate the problems already faced by farmers.
Landowner Khar complained about the suspension of work at a critical stage and warned that prolonged delays in the project’s completion could cause losses running into billions of rupees to farmers and the government.
The farmers and Chamber of Agriculture representatives called for the immediate resumption and acceleration of repair to restore the canal before the next cropping season to prevent any damage to agricultural production.
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2026
