Canal Breach Inundates Sirsa Village School and Farmlands
Residents of Nirban village in Sirsa district woke up to a distressing scene on Tuesday morning. The Gudiya Khera Minor Canal, which runs close to the local middle school, had breached overnight. This sudden failure sent water gushing into surrounding areas, causing significant disruption.
Extensive Damage to Crops and School Property
The breach measured nearly twenty feet in width. It unleashed a torrent that flooded hundreds of acres of agricultural land. Wheat and mustard crops, ready for harvest, now lie submerged under water. The floodwaters did not spare the Nirban Middle School either. Water entered the school campus, covering approximately two to three acres of vacant land on the premises.
Farmers reported a double blow. Fields directly adjacent to the canal were completely inundated. Meanwhile, farmers whose scheduled irrigation turn was next found themselves without any water supply. Their hopes for watering their crops were abruptly dashed.
Dry Canal, Sudden Release, and Immediate Collapse
Villagers explained the sequence of events. The canal had remained dry for several days prior to the incident. Authorities released water into it only on Monday. Shortly after the flow resumed, the canal's embankment gave way during the night. This led to the large-scale flooding that villagers discovered at dawn.
The breach occurred specifically in the fields belonging to farmer Rajkumar Sinwar. The flooding also damaged crops cultivated by Lilu Kaswan, Chanan Kaswan, Rohtas, and Jaidev. Panchayat land in the area was affected as well.
Official Response and Mounting Farmer Anger
Upon discovering the breach, villagers immediately alerted the local irrigation department. Department officials stated that repair work would commence soon. Their first step involves closing the canal upstream to stop the water flow and prevent further damage.
However, this response did little to calm the anger of local farmers. They expressed deep frustration over what they call repeated breaches in the canal system. Farmers squarely blamed the incident on poor maintenance and neglect by the authorities.
"Our hopes for irrigation are shattered once again," one farmer said, capturing the community's sentiment. They argue that such failures are becoming routine, causing recurring losses to their livelihoods and highlighting systemic issues in rural infrastructure management.
