Farmers protest, demand release of water in canal

Excelsior Correspondent

SAMBA, July 19: Farmers from border area of Rajpura, parts of Hiranagar and border belt of Ghagwal held massive protest demonstration at block headquarters Ghagwal in district Samba today.

A large number of farmers from border belt of Ghagwal earlier assembled in Ghagwal town and then took out protest march in the main market. Later, they gathered at the National Highway at Ghagwal Bus Stand and held demonstration. Many of them had come with their tractor-trolleys. They were shouting slogans against Ravi-Tawi canal authorities.

Several Sarpanchs of the area were leading the protest. The farmers alleged that water in the canal has been stopped abruptly by RTIC authorities, leaving farmer community of the area in trouble. They pointed out that for the past nearly four weeks, the water in the canal has been stopped due to the reason best known to the canal authorities.

The farmers who took out protest march in the main bazaar in the town, demanded that canal water be release at the earliest otherwise, they will come with tractor- trolleys and block Jammu-Pathankote National Highway, disrupting yatra and entire traffic.

Later, Tehsildar Samba Navdeep Wazir and Executive Engineer RTIC, Yashpal moved to Ghagwal and gave assurance to the agitating farmers to release water in the canal within 2-3 days. The XEn RTIC claimed that due to some repair work at the canal, the water has been stopped and it will be restored shortly.