Canal breach cuts irrigation to over 2,500 hectares in south Kashmir
Anantnag, Jun 18: A major breach in the Awantipora canal at Waghama-Bijbehara late Monday night has triggered a severe irrigation crisis in south Kashmir, leaving over 2,500 hectares of paddy land parched and hundreds of farmers staring at devastating crop loss and a looming livelihood crisis.
The 50-meter-wide breach has disrupted water supply to more than two dozen villages across Anantnag and Pulwama districts at the peak of the paddy transplantation season. With only days left before the crucial June 21 deadline for completing transplantation, panic has gripped farming communities dependent on this single canal for irrigation.
“This is our only crop of the year, and without water, it’s doomed,” said Javed Ahmad, a farmer from Waghama village, who has sown paddy on 10 Kanals of land. “If irrigation is not restored within the next few days, all our hard work will go to waste and our families will have nothing to survive on.”
Farmers in affected villages—including Marhama, Buliyar, K Pora, Parigam, Panjpora, Chachkoot, Charsoo, and Beighpora—say they are watching their fields dry up by the hour. Many have already borrowed heavily for seeds, fertilizers, and labour, hoping for a good harvest. Now, they fear a complete failure of the crop. “We barely manage to make ends meet,” said Shakil Ahmad from Hari village in Awantipora. “This is not just about one crop—it’s about our entire year’s income. We have families to feed.”
The breach has also exposed long-standing concerns about poor maintenance of the canal and unregulated human activity along its embankments. “This didn’t happen overnight,” said Muhammad Sultan, a farmer from Beighpora. “We’ve been warning about weak embankments for years. The authorities only react after disaster strikes.”
Officials from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said that water supply has been halted to prevent further erosion, and repair work is underway. However, they admit the damage is extensive and restoration could take time—time the farmers don’t have. Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri, MLA from Bijbehara, blamed unregulated soil extraction and the use of heavy dumpers on canal roads for weakening the embankments. “When grass and greenery are uprooted, the soil loses its binding strength,” Veeri said. “This collapse was inevitable due to years of negligence.” Veeri said he has taken up the matter with concerned departments and has called for immediate use of mechanical pumps and alternative means to restore water supply. He also urged the administration to begin assessing crop damage for compensation.
Tasaduk Veeri, a District Development Council (DDC) member from Bijbehara, said officials have been directed to expedite repair work. In neighboring Pulwama, MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para claimed the breach has impacted as many as 5,000 hectares of farmland, warning of a massive crisis if urgent intervention is not made. “The Awantipora canal is the backbone of our agriculture,” Para said in a social media statement. “Its collapse has left thousands of farmers in deep distress. I urge the Chief Minister and top officials to treat this as an emergency.” In addition to farmland, the canal breach has damaged a section of a newly constructed PMGSY road, cutting off vital road access to several villages. The High Diversion Road, which connects many remote settlements, is now unusable. “This road was a lifeline for us,” said Sameer Ahmad, a resident. “Now students, patients, and daily commuters are stranded. Farmers across the affected belt are demanding immediate government assistance, both in restoring water supply and offering financial relief for the potential crop failure. “If we lose this crop, it won’t just be a bad year—it will be a disaster,” said Javed Ahmad. “We need help, and we need it now.”
