RAHIM YAR KHAN: A 30-foot breach occurred on Tuesday night in Aab-iHayat Canal, inundating wheat crop on 70 acre landnear Chak 48-P, some 23km from here.

People of the area told Dawn that they were asleep when the breach took place.

They said water had been released in the canal after one-month closure.They alleged that the irrigation employees increased the height of water outlets due to which flow increased, causing breach in the canal.

Farmers Bilal, Abdul Khalig and Murtaza saidtheir wheat crop on 10 to 12 acres was inundated by water. `Four-foot water is still flowing in the fields, said Bilal.

Murtaza said people informed the irrigation staff early in the morning who plugged the breach at 11am after closing water supply from Tallywali Head near Jetha Bhatta.

An eyewitness told this correspondent that shoulders of the canal bank weakened during annual maintenance as a result the breach occurred.

Rahim Yar Khan senior engineer (irrigation) Ehsan Ahmed Khan said the Aabi-Hayat Canal breached between RD 139 and 140 because a tree fell into the canal.

He said flow was only 70 per cent because water supply was restored two days back after one-month closure.

He said two excavators, five dumpers and a front plate tractor-trolley were strengthening the shoulder of the canal bank where breach occurred and water would be restored after two days.