It was emphasised in the meeting that a two-pronged strategy must be adopted – short-term measures to provide immediate relief to farmers and long-term structural changes to cope with the adverse effects of climate change. photo: file
RAHIM YAR KHAN:
The annual and biannual canal closure (wara bandi) schedule for Rahim Yar Khan district has been announced, under which water supply from Head Panjnad to all canals feeding the district will remain completely suspended from January 5 to January 25, 2026.
Ahead of the closure, farmers and agricultural stakeholders across the district have urged the authorities to utilise the suspension period for thorough and effective desilting and maintenance of the canal system, warning that continued neglect could severely impact upcoming crops.
Growers have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Provincial Minister for Irrigation Kazim Pirzada to take immediate notice of the deteriorating canal infrastructure and to formulate a transparent, comprehensive, and result-oriented plan for annual desilting of the entire canal network originating from Head Panjnad.
According to farmers, years of poor maintenance and ineffective desilting have left the irrigation system of Rahim Yar Khan in a fragile state, directly affecting agricultural productivity and causing heavy financial losses to growers every year.
They said that sediment accumulation and unchecked growth of reeds along canal banks have significantly reduced water-carrying capacity.
Canals including the Abbasiya Link Canal, Dullas Branch, Panjnad Canal, Abbasiya Canal, Sadiq Branch, Adam Sahaba Canal, Aab-e-Hayat Canal and Sheeren Canal, along with several minor distributaries, are reportedly clogged with silt and vegetation.
