SANGHAR, Aug 1: The Ranto Canal failed to carry 6,500 cusecs of water from the Nara Canal to the Chotiari Reservoir as heavy silt, grass, bushes and weak embankments blocked it from flowing at full capacity.

The Chotiari Reservoir is an off-stream storage reservoir on the Nara Canal system spread over 45,000 acres. It was completed in February 2003 at a cost of Rs2.83 billion with a capacity to store 0.87 million acre feet (MAF) water to benefit 290,000 acres in Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts.

The canal was to be filled during the monsoon but irrigation authorities failed to store water in the canal, although half of the monsoon season had passed and it is doubtful if the only reservoir in Sindh can be filled even upto test level during the current season.

The officials concerned attributed the reason that the Ranto Canal was not able to carry water from the Nara Canal.

On Friday, only two gates out of 15 were raised at the Jamrao head from where the canal is controlled.

A low-grade irrigation official told this correspondent that 1,500 to 2,000 cusecs water was released a few days ago and if more water was released, there was possibility of breaches.

When this correspondent visited the embankments of the Ranto Canal, it was found that the embankments were weak all the way from Wadhki Pathan upto Awadh point and breaches could develop at any time, though the canal was flowing with only 25 to 30 per cent capacity.

A villager of the Mehmoodo village, Meeho Rajar, said that the embankments of the Chotiari Reservoir, near Junejani Ni Mari at Tajal Lake, and Sooraji Dhandh were made with loose soil.

This project was completed by Wapda through the LBOD and was handed over to irrigation officials.