Sangrur, June 20 — A 40-foot-wide breach in the Sunam Sub Branch canal at Khadial village, about 7 km from Sunam, inundated roughly 300 acres of farmland early Thursday, causing extensive damage to paddy and maize crops belonging to over 50 farmers.
Despite villagers alerting authorities in the early hours, the breach could not be plugged by evening, deepening farmers’ frustration over what they allege is repeated administrative failure.
“At the time of the breach, 400 cusecs of water was flowing through the canal,” said Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi. “We began plugging operations immediately. Now that the water has receded, irrigation authorities are moving in to close the breach. We expect to finish it by tonight and reinforce the canal banks within the next couple of days.”
Locals, however, say this is not the first time such a breach has occurred. “The canal broke here last year too, and we had appealed to the administration to strengthen its banks,” said Harpal Singh, a resident of Khadial and a youth leader. “No action was taken, and now the farmers are paying the price. Many will have to re-transplant their paddy — it’s a huge loss.”
Political voices have also stepped in. Winnerjit Singh Goldy, Sangrur area in-charge of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), demanded compensation for affected farmers. “Hundreds of acres have been damaged. The Punjab Government must provide adequate financial support to those who’ve suffered due to its negligence,” he said.
The administration has yet to confirm the scale of compensation, but officials say damage assessment will begin once repair work concludes.
