RAHIM YAR KHAN: A 10-foot breach occurred in Adam Sahaba canal, inundating harvested wheat crop and mango orchards on more than 90 acres of land near Mouza Bindor Abbassian on Tillu Road, some 50km from here, on Tuesday night.

According to residents, they wereasleep when a breach took place. Early in the morning they saw their harvested wheat fields, mango and citrus orchards filled with water.

They called the irrigation staff but no one arrived there to plug the breach. They plugged the breach on a self-help basis after 12pm.

A local farmer claimed that wheat crop on more than 170 acres was inundated by water and fields were submerged by twoto three feet water.

He said the irrigation staff did not perform their duties at canal banksand the theft of trees along the banks might be one of the reasons for breach.

“Another reason for breach is that the irrigation department had released water three days ago after one-month [canal] closure without strengthening the banks. Who will pay the loss of their hard work for wheat crop,” he said.

Whencontacted Rahim Yar Khan EXEN (irrigation) Yasir Munir told Dawn that he had visited Adam Sahaba canal but did not know about any breach.

Hesaid if anyone would share pictures [of the breach] and inundated wheat fields, then he would be able to tell about the reason. Whenthis correspondent shared the pictures of wheat fields filled with irrigation water, he did not reply.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2021