SAHIWAL: A 45-foot breach occurred at the left bank of the 9-L canal near 40 Burjee, village 133/9-L, on Thursday noon.

The flooding affected over 400 acres of agricultural land across three surrounding villages 134/9-L, 133/9-L, and 136/9-Lwhere wheat crops were ready for threshing and harvesting.

Agriculture department officials forecast significant financial losses for the farmers, amounting to millions of rupees. Efforts to plug the breach were underway.

Irrigation EXEN Mr. Tallha said it would take two hours to block the hole. A heavy crane was deployed alongside villagers and Rescue 1122 staff to assist in filling the breach.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that much of the wheat crop was lying in the fields for thresher and harvesting.Villagers were the first to respond to the situation, while officials from the irrigationdepartment arrived with heavy machinery approximately an hour later. Although the canalwas closed from its main source at the Lower Bari Doab Canal, water continued to flow untilthe levels dropped significantly.

Reports said the canal had been closed and it got opened with 750 cusecs of water being released from the Lower Bari Doab Canal on Wednesday night.

EXEN Mr. Talha and Chief Engineer Nouman Baig were present at the site to supervise the ongoing repair efforts.

The provincial irrigation secretary took notice of the breach and instructed the chief engineer to determine responsibility for the negligence that caused the incident.

Mr. Tallha said during harvesting seasons rats, snakes, different kinds of lizards make hole at bank of canal and sometime water entered into reptiles` holes and created breach in banks.

Local farmers have demanded compensation for their damaged wheat crops and an inquiry into the alleged negligence of the irrigation staff responsible for overseeing canal operations.