RAHIM YAR KHAN, May 20: Farmers on Monday protested against the apathy of irrigation officials who did not turn up to fill a breach occurred in the Abey Hayat Canal near Chak 148-P, some 30 kilometres from here, on Friday.

They also demanded an impartial inquiry and punishment for those who failed to perform their duties.

They said they worked for 18 hours and plugged the gap without the help of the irrigation department staff. Breach occurred again at the same place about 12 hours later. Villages within a radius of about one kilometre were inundated and standing cotton crop damaged.

Farmers alleged that the breach was caused due to digging of the canal bank by some influential landlords to steal water.