Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 3: Agitated residents of Darhal area today staged a protest outside the Tehsil Office complex against the alleged negligence of the Irrigation Department in restoring the damaged Darhal-Panthal Canal (Kool), which serves as a vital source of irrigation for agricultural land in the area.
The protest was led by former Sarpanch Thannamang Darhal, Umar Mirza, along with a large number of local farmers and residents. Protesters raised slogans against the Irrigation Department and expressed serious concern over the continued disruption of water supply through the canal.
Speaking on the occasion, the locals stated that the canal has remained damaged for the past two years, severely affecting irrigation facilities and putting hundreds of acres of cultivable land at risk. They alleged that despite repeated requests and representations, the concerned department has failed to take effective measures to restore the canal.
Residents claimed that, in the absence of departmental action, local people themselves have been carrying out temporary maintenance work to keep the canal functional. However, they said the damage has now reached a stage where proper repairs by the authorities are urgently required.
The protesting residents warned that if immediate restoration work is not initiated, standing crops and future agricultural activities in the area could suffer extensive losses. They gave the Irrigation Department a two-days’ ultimatum to undertake comprehensive repair and restoration of the canal.
The public also appealed to the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, to personally intervene in the matter and ensure swift action to save the crops and livelihoods of hundreds of farming families dependent on the canal.
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