Closure of main Rohri Canal ruining crops

NAWABSHAH: Crops standing on more than eight million acres are drying due to continuous closure of the main Rohri Canal apart from non-supply of drinking water to dozens of towns and cities dependent on this canal. 

Asia’s largest canal was closed about one-and-a-half months back for cement concrete lining on seven mile long embankments at a cost of Rs6.34 billion. 

At the time of the closure of the canal, it was announced that water in the canal would be released after one month, but one-and-a-half month have passed and the lining work is still in progress. 

The department of irrigation sources said that more than one hundred canals and distributaries coming out the main Rohri Canal irrigate 8.4 million acres of fertile land in Nasrat and Dad Divisions. 

The 100 outlets are dry and non-supply of irrigation water is drying crops of wheat, vegetables and oil seeds standing on more than eight million acres. 

Sources said that Gajrah Wah canal that supplies drinking water to Nawabshah city, Daur, Buchehri, Sakrand, Qazi Ahmed and other towns and villages is dry and residents are constrained to use subsoil hard water for cooking and drinking purposes and are facing severe stomach problems.