KHAIRPUR, May 6: Hundreds of farmers on Thursday took out a procession against the failure of the irrigation department to desilt Faiz Nahar, Setharja Minor and Mehrab Wah. They marched from Ghulam Raza Khokhar village to Sobhodero town. They observed a token hunger strike.

Talking to newsmen, they said that sand was flying from all waterways of the Sobhodero taluka and farmers could not sow cotton. They alleged that budget for silt clearance was released but the irrigation department's officials had not carried out the work.

They threatened to stage a sit-in on the National Highway if water was not provided in three days.

SUICIDE: A woman, Hidayat Khatoon Bhelar, 20, committed suicide by taking poison due to some domestic problems on Wednesday in Wadda Bhelar village near Ranipur. Her marriage was scheduled after one month.