Palampur: Leak in irrigation channel, farmers on warpath

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, June 19

Despite having ample water in the Awa khud, farmers of the Panchrukhi area are not getting water to irrigate their fields as the water crossing channel, which is laid on the railway line passing through a village, is leaking for the past two years, leaving the farmers high and dry.

The farmers alleged that the situation has moved from bad to worse due to the apathy of the railway and irrigation officials, who have not initiated any steps for the repairs of the channel before the onset of the summer season.

Address issues within a week

If our grievances are not addressed within a week, we will stage a protest in front of the Irrigation Department office in Palampur.  — A farmer

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that the IPH Department had recently spent over Rs 1 crore on the construction of Prinul Kuhal, catering to over dozen villages of the Panchrukhi area. However, because of the damaged channel, water is not reaching in the fields, making hundreds of acres barren.

Though the farmers have raised the issue with officials of the IPH and Railway Departments every season, nothing concrete was done to resolve it. With this year’s insufficient rainfall exacerbating the situation, almost all crops are showing signs of distress, with cracks forming and recently transplanted crops turning yellow due to lack of water.

“If our grievances are not addressed within a week, we will stage a protest in front of the Irrigation Department office in Palampur. There is abundant water in the Awa khud and there are no financial constraints for the repair of the water crossing channel,” said a farmer.

IPH Assistant Engineer said the damaged channel would be repaired or replaced only by the Railway authorities. The IPH Department had no authority to repair it since it was the property of the railways, he added.