Farmers dependent on the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) have protested against the prolonged suspension of irrigation water, warning that the two-month disruption has placed standing crops at serious risk and pushed the agricultural community into a deepening crisis.
Farmers Allege Illegal Water Diversions
The protesting farmers said the continued shortage of irrigation water had jeopardised crops across the canal command area and threatened investments worth millions of rupees made on fertilisers, pesticides and other agricultural inputs. According to the farmers, the prolonged disruption has left crops vulnerable during a critical stage of cultivation, raising fears of substantial financial losses if irrigation is not restored without delay.
They alleged that illegal diversions of canal water upstream were depriving downstream farming communities of their rightful share and called on the district administration and the Irrigation Department to investigate the matter and take action against those responsible.
Urgent Call for Restoration
The farmers urged the authorities to restore the water supply immediately, warning that any further delay could inflict irreparable damage on crops and adversely affect the livelihoods of hundreds of farming families dependent on the canal. They further cautioned that if their concerns remained unaddressed, they would expand their protest campaign, including demonstrations, road blockades and sit-ins, to press for the restoration of irrigation supplies and strict enforcement against illegal water diversion.
No official response was immediately available from the district administration or the Irrigation Department regarding the farmers’ allegations. Claims relating to illegal diversion of canal water have not been independently verified.
