July 18, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Seventy four year old Habib Ullah is the owner of 500 canals of irrigated land, yet because of the unavailability of water in the Lakki Marwat region of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, especially the Marwat Canal, Habib Ullah has to work in other people’s fields as a laborer. Now, his once fertile land has turned barren.
“I used to cultivate sugarcane and produce my own gur (jaggery); I also kept many cows and cattle, but now I have to work as a laborer in others’ fields for just 400 rupees an hour,” he says.
Habib Ullah has heard from locals that the Marwat Canal has been choked because of accumulated silt and mud, which has blocked the flow of water.
“I had to sell all my cows, goats, and other livestock because I couldn’t find fodder for them. Now, I work in the fields of those who irrigate their land using tube wells.”
Habib’s story is not unique. It reflects the struggles of countless farmers from the districts of Bannu, Jani Khel, and Lakki Marwat. The 66-kilometer-long Marwat Canal stretches from the Jani Khel area of Bannu to Khairo Khel Pakka in Lakki Marwat. It once irrigated 170,000 acres of land. However, since 2000, water has ceased to flow into the canal due to silt deposition in the Baran Dam, its main water source.
The Marwat Canal is an important irrigation infrastructure located in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts. It draws water from the Baran Dam and serves as a lifeline for the surrounding agricultural lands.
Protests erupt
In an effort to raise their voices, the people of Lakki Marwat have staged multiple protests demanding the restoration of water in the Marwat Canal. The most recent demonstration took place on July 15, organized by the Marwat-Bittani Qaumi Movement.
Armed participants from the movement attempted to march towards Baran Dam in Bannu to protest and redirect water into the canal themselves. However, police intercepted them in Ghoriwala, a town on the Bannu border.
Advocate Muhammad Burhan, a member of the Ranrra Qaumi Movement and a participant in the protest, spoke to Voicepk about the issue.
“We, including the local MPA and District Nazim, have repeatedly raised this issue with the Irrigation Department, but every time they make promises without delivering. We had announced this protest a month earlier, on June 15. Meanwhile, we even submitted a detailed report identifying all fault lines and providing solutions, but the authorities have taken no action.”
Baran Dam was inaugurated by the late Field Marshal Ayub Khan in 1962. It was originally fed by rainwater streams from Waziristan, Thall, and Shera Thalla, and by water diverted from the River Kurram. However, in 2021, Irrigation Department sub-engineer Sami Ullah stated that the dam had become 87% silted by 2010. In response, the department raised the dam’s walls by 27 feet and planned to introduce a new water source from the Tochi River.
Previously, the dam had a storage capacity to irrigate 98,500 acres of land, which was expected to increase to 104,000 acres after the expansion.
According to Advocate Burhan, authorities now claim there still isn’t enough water in the dam:
“They tell us that water is being diverted to areas before Lakki Marwat, which is why we get none.”
This is backed by Assistant Commissioner Irrigation Bannu, Samiullah Kundi, who told Voicepk,
“There is no water available in the dam, which is why the Marwat Canal has dried up.”
When questioned about the 2021 statement by a sub-engineer claiming that after the dam’s expansion, 70% of water would go to Lakki Marwat and 30% to Bannu, the assistant commissioner replied, “I have no knowledge of that individual or his statement.”
Kundi further stated that a new canal has been constructed from the Tochi River to channel floodwater into Baran Dam, which he hopes will solve the problem. However, Advocate Burhan disagrees: “There’s not enough floodwater in the Tochi River. During peak flooding, Tochi flows for only 8 hours, whereas the Kurram River floods for 8 days. We have suggested using the Kurram River in our report, but the authorities continue to ignore us.”
When asked whether the dam upraising and canal rehabilitation project was a failure, Assistant Commissioner Kundi disagreed, saying a detailed evaluation would be needed, but he remains optimistic about the new canal from Tochi River.
Lack of transparency
It is worth mentioning that in July 2023, the federal government approved Rs. 521 million for the rehabilitation of the Marwat Canal and raising of Baran Dam. Referring to this allocation, Advocate Burhan said: “There is no transparency on how this amount has been spent, as the problem persists. That is why we demand accountability from the officials and politically influential figures involved.”
In the meantime, the Marwat-Bittani Qaumi Movement has postponed its protest after negotiations. The local administration asked for a week to hold talks, during which civil and security officials will hear their concerns. One of their demands also relates to the deteriorating law and order situation in the district. A roadmap is expected after these meetings.
However, police have registered an FIR against 53 protesters under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other sections of the Penal Code. According to the FIR, the demonstrators, led by Inam Ullah Marwat, brandished weapons and opened fire on police. No injuries occurred, but fear gripped the area and people stayed inside their homes. Police claim the act falls under terrorism and are attempting to apprehend the accused.
Environmental and Economic Impact Worsens
Inayat Ullah, chairman of the Farmers Union Jirga, says, “The day water stopped flowing into the Marwat Canal, our downfall began. Some people own thousands of acres, but now they are forced to work as laborers in Punjab cities due to lack of irrigation.”
The water crisis has had deep economic and environmental impacts in Lakki Marwat. Locals report a significant drop in the groundwater table, causing wells and drinking water sources to dry up. Environmental experts link this to two main factors: increased reliance on tube wells and the growing effects of climate change.
According to Lakki Marwat PESCO (Peshawar Electric Supply Company), more than 900 private and solar-powered tube wells had been registered in the district by 2022. Locals say they are left with no option but to use tube wells. “If water were coming through the canal, why would we spend so much money on installing tube wells?” a farmer asks.
Due to poor rainfall and a deteriorating canal system, water scarcity in Lakki Marwat worsens by the day. Habib Ullah says, “Every farmer is waiting for this canal to flow again. If the water returns, so will the prosperity we once knew,” while Advocate Burhan added that this canal is a lifeline for us, and its drying has compelled our people to work for meagre wages in other parts of the country. If the Marwat Canal had water, everyone here would be self-sufficient in food, and there would be no need to leave our area in search of work.”