Illegal pipes removed from Sirsa canals

The Irrigation Department in Sirsa district is continuing its operation to remove illegally laid pipes in canal systems.

On Friday, the department removed several unauthorised pipes from the Rattakhera Kharif Channel near Ghukanwali and Nuhianwali villages, where some farmers had laid them to draw water or create makeshift bridges.

Officials reported that about 20 illegal pipes had been installed from Ghukanwali to Rattakhera.

Along with the pipes, temporary earthen bridges, made by farmers to cross into their fields, were also dismantled.

The department’s action drew concern from Nuhianwali farmers, who had met the Deputy Commissioner a day earlier. They agreed with the removal of the pipes used for drawing water illegally, but requested that the larger pipes, placed to create temporary passageways across the canal, not be removed. These bridges, they claimed, did not obstruct water flow and were essential for reaching their fields and homes (dhanis), located on the other side of the canal.

Farmers also presented letters of support from the panchayats of Rajpura and Rattakhera, villages located at the canal’s tail end. After hearing the farmers’ concerns, the Deputy Commissioner directed them to the Superintending Engineer (SE) of the Irrigation Department.

Following the SE’s instructions, XEN Mandeep Beniwal, SDO Chandramohan and other officials visited Nuhianwali on Friday, along with a patwari, to inspect the temporary bridges.

Farmers told the team that, during last year’s rains when water overflowed in the region, these pipe-bridges had allowed smooth flow without any blockage. Local farmers said, without these bridges, they had no access to their fields, as there was no alternate road along the canal. They pointed out that former Power Minister Ranjit Singh had earlier approved the laying of large pipes for water flow across the Kharif channel.

Farmers later used these to create temporary access bridges by covering them with soil. There are around 15 such bridges between Ghukanwali and Rattakhera. Meanwhile, sarpanches and farmers from Rajpura and Rattakhera requested the department to consider building a gate on the canal near Bhagsar Road in Rajpura. They said, due to the low lying land, water overflowed even when released from a head 35 kms away.

Beniwal said the department’s goal was to ensure that water reached the farms at the tail end. “For that, the channel must be clear. All illegal installations must be removed. Temporary bridges made by farmers are not safe during high water flow,” he said, advising farmers to find a panchayat-level solution for safe access to their fields.

Haryana Tribune