MUHAMMAD REHAN
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to immediately release funds for the repair and rehabilitation of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC), warning that prolonged neglect of the irrigation system is severely affecting agriculture and farmers in Dera Ismail Khan and Taunsa.
Speaking to the media in Dera Ismail Khan, Fazlur Rehman said the CRBC is the backbone of the agricultural economy of Dera Ismail Khan and Taunsa but has remained neglected for nearly two decades. He said the canal’s deteriorating condition has reduced water supply from the allocated 5,000 cusecs to around 3,500 cusecs.
He also alleged that some landowners along the canal’s western bank were illegally diverting large quantities of water, depriving farmers in the command area of their rightful share.
Fazlur Rehman said farmers in the tail-end areas of Taunsa were facing acute water shortages, leaving many without sufficient irrigation or even drinking water. He added that persistent drought had forced several families to migrate, causing serious damage to agricultural production and the rural economy.
Referring to a recent tractor-trolley march by thousands of farmers from Taunsa to Dera Ismail Khan, he said the protesters demanded an end to water theft, immediate repair of the canal, restoration of its full capacity, and the supply of the allocated 5,000 cusecs of water.
He called on the provincial government to release funds without delay and direct the Irrigation Department to complete rehabilitation work at the earliest to revive the region’s agricultural economy and safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of farmers.
Criticising the government, Fazlur Rehman said the agriculture sector was being neglected despite its vital role in the economy, warning that the irrigation crisis was threatening agricultural productivity across the region and the province.
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