Tarn Taran: Farmers of 10 villages protest, say canal water not reaching them

Tarn Taran, June 23

The farmers of as many as 10 villages around Dhotian have not been getting canal water to irrigate their paddy crop. The water had been released in the Sabhra branch canal on June 11. The canal water was to reach them June 11 onward. Kulwant Singh, zonal president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, said here on Sunday said that among the affected villages were Vein Poin, Dhotian, Rakh Sheron, Lalpura, Warana, Usman, Dugri, Jatta, Chambal etc. The farmer leader said that the department has been releasing water from June 11 as a matter of routine but the farmers of these villages were not getting water for irrigation. The farmer leader said that they have been demanding since the beginning of the change in season overhauling of the system by cleaning and repairing the canal and all distributaries but the department overlooked their appeals.

The irked farmers staged a dharna at the Dugri village bridge on Saturday and were pacified by Avtar Singh, SDO, Irrigation.

SDO Avtar Singh, while talking to this correspondent on Sunday, said canal water must be released to the farmers from June 26 as the cleaning of canal and its distributaries was going on at a war footing and was to be completed in a few days. The SDO said that theft of canal water was a major reason behind its non-availability in tail-end villages. He said that the flow of water decreases by the time it reaches the tail-end villages due to water theft. Avtar Singh, SDO, said that NREGA labour had been deployed for the cleaning of canal water.