VEHARI, March 13: The irrigation department could not plug the 40-foot wide breach which had occurred in Khaddar link water channel on Monday at Noor Shah town, some 25km from here.

The breach inundated over 500 acres of land, including a village. About a dozen mud houses collapsed, affecting 50 families of Garibabad locality situated near Noor Shah railway station. Boundary wall of a government primary school, Gharibabad also collapsed.

A group of people told newsmen that the breach had severely affected wheat crop over 300 acres while the irrigation department did not start repair work even after a lapse of 24 hours.

The villagers said they were trying to plug the breach on a self-help basis. They claimed that the Thingi irrigation office had been informed about the weakening bank of the water channel near Burji-113, but the officials did not fortify it.

When contacted irrigation XEN Mian Ajmal said the bank had weakened owing to recent rains.

He said officials concerned had been sent and the breach would be plugged during the next 12 hours. He said a probe had been launched.

On Tuesday evening, a team of journalists visited the spot and found only a few villagers trying to plug the breach.