Troubled by seepage of canal water, villagers hold protest

Residents of Dammowal, Goiwal, Narnaul, Karoda and Wadala villages living adjacent to the Kandi Canal, near Datarpur town, are troubled due to the problem of the water seepage.

The villagers have raised the matter repeatedly with the Kandi Canal Department, but to no avail. Led by respective sarpanches, the affected villagers staged a protest against the state government and the Kandi Canal Department near the canal gates at Wadala village. They called off the protest after an assurance from MLA Karambir Singh Ghuman.

During the protest, the villagers accused the government and the Canal Department of not paying attention to their problems except giving false assurances. Sanyogita Devi, Ramandeep Singh and Rajiv Dadwal, sarpanches of Narnaul, Damowal and Goiwal villages, respectively, told the media that since the concrete lining of Kandi Canal was done in 2020, the villages were facing the problem of siltation due to seepage of canal water. In the summer season, the ground water level is up to 2.5 feet. However, in the rainy and winter seasons, it rises to the ground level and the houses face the threat of collapsing, the sarpanches added.

The villagers have taken up the matter with Kandi Canal Department, local administration and state government many times, but no proper solution has been found, they said.

With no solution in sight, the affected villagers started a joint protest at 10 am under the leadership of respective panchayats. International wrestler and retired police officer Nirmal Singh and youth BJP leader Ankit Rana also participated in the protest.

On coming to know about the protest, Dasuya MLA Karambir Singh Ghuman reached the site and assured the protesters that the problem will be solved soon as he has spoken to the senior officials of the Kandi Canal Department.

On Monday, all the officials will reach the spot, along with the panchayats of the affected villages, and assess the situation and find a proper solution to the problem. MLA Ghuman said if the department failed to find a solution, he will join the protest. After the assurance given by the MLA, the villagers called the protest at around 2 pm. They threatened to intensify their struggle if the problem was not resolved soon.

A large number of affected people and SDO Jatinder Singh of the Canal Department were also present on the occasion.

Punjab