SAHIWAL, Nov 19: Villagers, accompanied by the army, succeeded on Friday in plugging the breach occurred in the Lower Bari Doab Canal between RDs 361-362 near Chak 96/6-R. The loss of crops and property has been assessed at Rs15 million.

Nearly 40-foot breach occurred in the LBDC early Thursday and it took at least 26 hours before it was plugged by the people of the affected areas and the army. They used mud filled bags to plug the breach and the flow of water in the canal was stopped from the Balloki head works.

Irrigation Chief Engineer (Multan Zone) Muhammad Anwar Bhutta visited the site and, during a preliminary inquiry, it came to light that Sahiwal Sub-Division SDO Ali Sher Joiya had closed 9-L distributary on the night of Nov 17 without informing it to the higher authorities.

This closure raised the pressure in the LBDC, as 900 cusecs of irrigation water was stopped to flow in the 9-L canal. Accordingly, the increase of 900 cusecs water in addition to the existing water flow caused a breach.

Standing crops spreading over 1,500 acres were under knee deep water. The affected crops were potato, paddy and vegetables. Meanwhile, Punjab Irrigation Minister Amer Sultan Cheema has ordered the zonal chief engineer to send him the inquiry report immediately. SDO Ali Sher Joiya and sub-engineer Arshad have been suspended from service.

ROBBERY: Armed men in two strikes here took away valuables worth Rs494,000 on Thursday night. Reports said two armed men snatched from shopkeeper Muhammad Akram his day's sales amounting to Rs19,000, and drove away with his motorcycle (SGC-4555) at Ganj Shakar Colony. The shopkeeper was going home at Chak 89/6-R.

In another incident, seven armed men took away a tractor-trolley laden with 50 bags of paddy (each bag of 100kg) valuing Rs425,000 after injuring grower Muhammad Sarwar and his colleagues.

As Sarwar raised an alarm, the villagers rushed for help and one of them opened fire, injuring a robber. The injured was handed over to police. Police have registered cases.