Demanding desilting of Jabla-Salamabad irrigation canal, hundreds of farmers on Saturday staged a massive protest against the authorities, accusing them of showing least concern towards the farmers’ plight. The protesting farmers blocked the traffic movement on Uri- Salamabad road for several hours in favour of their demand.
Farmers said that the entire agriculture land, comprising ofhundreds of hectares will turn barren if the canal is not cleaned from weedsand other obstructions. “The Jabla-Salamabad canal is the only sourceirrigating our fields. The canal as of now is completely blocked. The concerneddepartment has not taken any measures for its desiltation, with the result weanticipate a dark future” said Fayaz Ahmad Banday, a resident of Salamabad Uri,while protesting against the authorities.
As per reports, the desiltation of the canal had beendelayed following some differences between the officials of department of RuralDepartment and Irrigation and Flood Control division over the execution ofcleaning process of the canal. The tussle between the two departments has ledto the delay.
Latter the local officials reached the spot, and persuadedthe protesting farners that cleaning of the canal will be taken up at theearliest. “There has been some issue between the department of RuralDevelopment and the Irrigation and Flood control. The issue has been solved nowand Department of Rural Development will desilt the canal under conversionscheme” said Riyaz Ahmad, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Uri.