Farmers suffer as irrigation canal defunct in Uri village

By Idrees Bukhtiyar
Comments 0
15 Apr 2026

Srinagar, Apr 14: A crucial irrigation channel in Garkote village of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has remained defunct for the past more than a year, leaving local farmers grappling with severe water shortages and mounting financial stress.

Residents said the steel flume, which carried water from Nambla village to Garkote, was damaged during road construction undertaken by R&B Department in February 2025. Since then, no repairs have been carried out, disrupting irrigation across large swathes of agricultural land.

“This channel was our only source of irrigation. Ever since it was damaged, we have been facing immense difficulties,” said Ishfaq Shah, a local farmer. “We had a proper system in place, but the road construction destroyed everything. No one has returned to fix it.”

The damaged infrastructure has forced several farmers to arrange alternative means to irrigate their fields, often at considerable personal expense. Locals said the channel earlier catered to hundreds of kanals of farmland.

“We pooled money to install temporary pipes just to ensure water supply. I alone spent over Rs 17,000,” Shah added. “But this is not a sustainable solution. We need the original channel to be restored.”

Villagers alleged that despite repeated appeals, the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department has failed to take concrete steps to repair the flume and restore water flow.

The prolonged disruption has not only affected crop productivity but also increased the burden on farmers already struggling with rising input costs. Many fear that continued neglect could push them away from agriculture altogether.

“If the situation persists, more fields will dry up and people may abandon farming,” warned Majeed Ahmad, another farmer.

Apart from agricultural losses, locals also raised concerns about potential structural risks to nearby homes. One resident claimed that assurances of protective concrete work have not materialised. “They have been promising action for years, but nothing has been done so far,” he said.

The villagers have urged the district administration to intervene and hold both the R&B and I&FC departments accountable. They have demanded immediate restoration of the irrigation channel ahead of the upcoming cultivation season to prevent further losses.