The agricultural system in Burund area of Sarvekai subdivision of Upper South Waziristan is in a serious crisis as the Nanokhel Irrigation Channel has been completely blocked by sand and debris for the past four months, due to which this most important source of irrigation, which irrigates thousands of acres of land, has become inactive.
Due to the closure of the canal, the crops of local farmers have dried up and reached the verge of destruction. Local farmers and landowners have strongly protested the situation, saying that they have repeatedly approached their MNA, MPA and Senator, but no practical step has been taken so far.
It seems that this serious issue is of no importance to the concerned authorities and public representatives. The performance of the Irrigation Department is zero and they are playing the role of a silent spectator, which is causing great disappointment among the farmers.
According to locals, when there was no hearing at the government level, now the residents of the area have been forced to collect donations on their own to make the canal clean and save the agricultural lands from becoming barren. The only source of livelihood for the majority of the people of Burundi is agriculture, and the prolonged closure of the canal is tantamount to economic murder for them.
The affected farmers have demanded that the provincial government and the top officials of the irrigation department immediately take notice of the matter, get the Nanokhel irrigation channel cleaned on an emergency basis, and compensate the farmers for their losses.
They have questioned whether the claims of public service are limited to election slogans only? If timely steps are not taken, the farmers will face severe financial losses, for which the entire responsibility will fall on the concerned departments and elected representatives.
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