BADIN, Oct 19: A complete strike was observed in Shaheed Fazal Rahu town on Saturday against water shortage in the local waterways.

The business centres and shops remained closed during the strike.

A big rally was taken out, which marched on the roads of the town and culminated at the Bab-i-Shaheed Fazil Rahu.

Speaking at the rally, Haji Abdul Ghafoor Memon, Haji Allah Bachayo Memon, Mohammad Rafiq Memon and Ghulam Nabi Shah alleged that the water shortage was a result of negligence of the officials of the Irrigation department.

They said that there was not a drop of water in the minors and distributaries of Golarchi.

Later, the protesters staged a sit-in on Badin-Karachi road as a result vehicular traffic was suspended for two hours.

Meanwhile, the president of the Laar Abadgar Association, Badin district, Abdul Jabbar Gopang, and Syed Zafar Shah, have expressed concern over water shortage in Sindh, saying that it was having a negative impact on the agricultural production of Pakistan.

They threatened that the growers of Badin would widen scope of protest against the Irrigation officials if water was not made available to the area farmers, including those whose land lied at tail-end of the waterways.

Meanwhile. another strike was observed in Khoski, Nindo Sheher and other towns of the district against delay in recovery of three presumably kidnapped traders, Raj Kumar, Atam and Ashok Kumar.

On the call of the local scheduled caste businessmen, the traders observed the shutter-down strike and also staged demonstration against the police apathy in the case.

According to the representatives of the business community — Haji Pinjaro, Yar Mohammad Arain and Hari Ram — Kumar and his relatives were missing after going to Kaloi on a business visit the other day.

They said that they had informed the police about the incident but the police did not register any case.