LAHORE, Jan 17: Irrigation water supplies to Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts will be delayed for 20 days as a result of a breach in Taunsa Barrage, officials of the Punjab Irrigation Department said here on Wednesday.

Instead of Feb 11, DG Khan and Muzaffargharh canals would now be opened on March 7 — a delay of 20 days. Drinking water supplies, which were to be started on Jan 16, would now be restored on Jan 31.

Both these dates have been finalised following initial estimates, they said, adding minor fluctuations might happen as work on the barrage was going on.

On Wednesday, around a 40-foot breach was plugged with stones and the rest of the 50 feet would take another two days.

After stone lying, earthen work would start, which may take five more days. The barrage should come back to pre-breach condition in a week, they said.

The delay in irrigation supplies would affect around 1.7 million-acre command area of both canals in three districts, and wheat crop there may suffer.

Agriculture secretary Fayyaz Bashir said it was too early to assess crop damage. He said that water supplies to these areas had been stopped for the last two months. Further delay will naturally damage the crop, he said.