By Akhlaque Ahmed Chandio
KAMBER: A 200-foot-wide breach in the Warah Branch near the China RTC Pumping Station at RD-170 in the Miro Khan area of District Kamber Shahdadkot submerged hundreds of acres of standing paddy crop, while floodwater entered nearby villages, including Ali Nawaz Jagirani, leaving residents in fear and uncertainty.
The breach not only damaged vast areas of agricultural land but also posed a serious threat to nearby settlements, triggering concern among local communities.
According to affected villagers, the canal initially developed a breach of around 50 feet late on Tuesday night. Despite immediate information being provided to the Irrigation Department, no responsible official or emergency team reached the site in time.
Residents said the delay allowed the breach to widen rapidly to nearly 200 feet, causing a large volume of water to flow uncontrollably towards farmland and nearby villages.
As the news spread, farmers and residents from surrounding areas rushed to the site and attempted to divert the water with their limited resources. However, due to strong water pressure and a lack of machinery, they failed to control the situation.
The villagers said timely intervention by the Irrigation Department could have significantly reduced the losses.
Affected farmers said they had cultivated paddy crops after obtaining loans and were expecting a good harvest. However, within a single night, their year-long hard work was washed away, causing financial losses worth millions of rupees and leaving many families worried about meeting household expenses and arranging funds for the next cultivation season.
Local residents also alleged that the breach occurred near a bridge over a drainage channel that had been constructed only two years ago at a cost of millions of rupees. They claimed that poor-quality construction and inadequate protective measures had weakened the canal structure, eventually resulting in the breach.
They demanded a transparent inquiry into the incident and strict action against those found responsible for negligence.
The affected residents appealed to the Sindh government, Irrigation Department and district administration to immediately plug the breach, protect villages and agricultural land from further flooding, and provide financial compensation to affected farmers to help them rebuild their livelihoods.
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