June 24, 2002	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1423

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SUKKUR, June 23: The irrigation department has clarified that the growers of kutcha areas would receive a sufficient quantity of water when water flow at Sukkur and Guddu will cross 250,000 cusecs mark.

Water level at barrages was showing an upward trend constantly and at about 7pm on Sunday, Guddu Barrage upstream was recorded at 170,132 cusecs while at Sukkur Barrage it was 139,370 cusecs. The flow is very likely to go up by 10,000 cusecs at both the barrages over the next 24 hours.

Flow at Kotri Barrage has been recorded at 39,548 with an upward trend.

The irrigation officials said that despite the significant improvement, water would take a few days to reach most of the canals and distributaries passing through the kutcha areas and especially those in Jacobabad and Garhi Khairo.

The improved water position has created optimism among the cultivators of Sindh and Balochistan and they are desperately waiting for water to reach at the level of 300,000 cusecs in the main barrages. They guess that the much expected quantity of water would be sufficient for at least six months and benefit greatly the crops of grams and pulses.

PROTEST: Growers in Garhi Khairo staged a protest demonstration and sit-in against the irrigation officials for not releasing water to the Begari Canal.

They disrupted vehicular traffic by blocking the road linking Sindh with Balochistan for several hours.

The protesters regretted that the irrigation officials had adopted an indifferent attitude despite their repeated calls for water over a long period. They also raised slogans against the construction of Thal canal.