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RAJOURI SEPT 28:-When the Irrigation Department failed to respond to repeated pleas, residents of Upper Bhajwal A Panchayat took matters into their own hands, constructing a makeshift wooden bridge to restore water supply to a decades-old canal.
The canal, built nearly 70 years ago to irrigate fields and boost grain, fruit, and vegetable production, once served Nadhani, Kund, and adjoining villages. Originating from the Dokhoon forest in Upper Bhajwal A, the channel had long been a crucial source of irrigation, helping farmers supply produce not only to Sunderbani but also to Rajouri and Poonch districts.
However, years of neglect by the Irrigation Department, coupled with unchecked deforestation and hill-cutting in the name of development, reduced water flow and left the canal in a crumbling state. The final blow came in late August, when torrential rains washed away a large portion of the canal at its origin point.
Villagers say they approached the Irrigation Department in Nowshera repeatedly, but officials remained unresponsive. Even calls to Assistant Engineer Amit Kumar went unanswered. “We had no choice but to take matters into our own hands,” said local resident Kewal Krishan. Along with Daljit Kumar, Jeet Kumar, and Rakesh Kumar, villagers worked collectively to build a temporary wooden bridge across the canal in a single day, restoring the water supply.
Despite this community effort, the department has yet to take any corrective measures. Locals are now appealing directly to J&K Jal Shakti Department Minister Javed Ahmed Rana and the Chief Minister, urging them to intervene and wake the department from what villagers described as its “Kumbhakaran-like slumber.”
Farmers fear that unless urgent repairs are made, what remains of the canal system could collapse entirely, crippling agriculture in the area.
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