LAHORE: Grappling with a crippling 22pc water shortage for the ongoing Rabi season, the Punjab Irrigation Department has lodged 200 first information reports (FIRs), resulting in arrest of 63 individuals, for water theft since mid-October, as part of a province-wide crackdown.

On recent directives from the chief minister, the department’s field teams inspected 19,436 canal outlets since the current Rabi season commenced on Oct 15.

The crackdown targets widespread illegal practices stemming from system stress, including unauthorised canal cuts, illegal siphon installations, and outlet (moga) tampering, meant to steal water at the expense of tail-end growers.

According to departmental data, authorities have identified 1,311 tampered canal outlets – repairing 1,148 of them so far, besides detecting 737 other offences, such as illegal pipes and cuts, of which 718 have been rectified.

Officials have forwarded 715 legal notices (Robkars) to local police and imposed a cumulative fine of Rs915,500 on water pilferers, so far.

The department’s spokesperson emphasises that the ongoing campaign involves round-the-clock watch-and-patrol duties, supported by coordinated night operations and mosque announcements to rally public against irrigation theft.

Since the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has announced that total 29.18 million acre feet (MAF) of water are available as compared to 38 MAF requirement under the 1991 Water Accord, it has accordingly reduced provincial withdrawal shares. Under the arrangement, Punjab will get only 15.564 MAF for Rabi 2026-27. The Punjab irrigation authorities aim to curb illegal diversions and ensure equitable water distribution for wheat crop, particularly for vulnerable farmers stationed at the canal tail-ends.

Bahawalpur irrigation zone tops the list with 621 cases of tampered water outlets (mogas), followed by Faisalabad zone with 326 and Lahore with 121 cases.

Sargodha is ahead with registration of 50 FIRs, followed by Bahawalpur with 44 and Multan zone with 33.

The spokesperson says that the FIRs were registered and arrests were made on repeated offences or illegal widening of outlets, and installation of siphon pipes.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2026