MUZAFFARGARH: Four distributaries (irrigation nullahs) linked to the Muzaffargarh canal, which had been closed for the past 15 years and were dry, have been opened, and the Punjab government has started lining them in Jatoi.

The closure of water channels had affected eight mouzajaat where farmers were unable to irrigate hundreds of acres of land, despite farmers paying water tax to the department.

MPA Rana Abdul Manan Sajid said he obtained mega projects for lining from the Punjab government, which has been started. Dawn learned that mauzajaat Khandar Wah, Bakht Wah, Qadir Pur, and Murad Pur, which were linked to the Muzaffargarh canal, had turned dry for the past 15 years. The Punjab government released Rs570 million on the recommendations of MPA Manan for lining, and on Sunday, he inaugurated the project in Jatoi.

Hundreds of farmers gathered at the event and expressed happiness about the initiative. Rana Zaulfiqar Ali, a Jatoi resident, said that these distributaries had been closed for the last decade, and canal water was not possible for farmers and local landowners. He said that many times, he and other farmers approached local parliamentarians and irrigation officials for water release from the canal, but they claimed that the distributaries were closed due to stones, garbage, and mud, so they used their tube wells for watering.

The MPA said he met with PML-N leaders and told them about the problems, and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif gave mega projects to Jatoi farmers.

Malik Nawaz, a farmer, said they had to pay thousands of rupees per year in water tax, even though they never see canal water in their acres, and now, with the lining of Nullahs, canal water would be available. The restoration of nullahs would make it possible to supply canal water to farmers in Tal, Bakhtwah, and more than eight surrounding villages. Due to neglect and lack of maintenance, over half of the area has become silted up, and the remaining water was lost during transportation. Additionally, excessive capacity and illegal ponds along the route have resulted in water loss before it reaches its destination. However, with the maturity of Qadirpur Minor, Moradpur Minor, and Khandar Minor, it is now possible to supply canal water to farmers and ensure equitable distribution.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2024