25 June 2004	Friday	06 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

BADIN, June 24: Growers of the Aliabad Minor of the Khairpur Gumbho sub-division have threatened to resort to hunger strike if irrigation water for their lands is not released and immediate action against responsible officials is not taken.

Speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday evening, growers of Matli and Tando Bago talukas complained that there was an acute shortage of water in the canal for the past many months which had rendered them unable to cultivate their lands.

Accusing irrigation officials of creating artificial shortage by selling water to influential landlords upstream, they alleged that the assistant executive engineer was demanding Rs50,000 through an agent for releasing regular water supply.

They claimed that in 1997, the assistant executive engineer, then an assistant engineer, was sent to jail by the Army Monitoring Cell on charges of implicating a farmer in a false water theft case and added that ever since, the said official had been looking for an opportunity to take his revenge.

The growers demanded that water should be released in the minor as early as possible while swift action should be taken against the officials responsible for the artificial shortage.

Meanwhile, growers of the Khoski and Shadi Large areas took out a procession in Khoski town to protest against water shortage in the Beero Minor of the Bahadur Wah. Raising slogans against the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority and irrigation officials, they staged a sit-in at the Bahadur Wah bridge, blocking routes to Badin and Naokot.

The protesters said that there was not any water available, even for drinking, in the villages of the areas because of which they had to buy water at Rs30 a can, while those who were unable to afford the cans were using contaminated water with the result that water-borne diseases were spreading among them. They demanded that water should be released immediately.

SHIKARPUR: A large number of growers of the Sindh Wah on Thursday staged a protest demonstration on the Sukkur- Shikarpur road against the shortage of water.

They alleged that the officials were selling water to influential growers and creating man-made shortage of water for small growers. The protestors threatened to go on hunger strike unto death, if irrigation water was not released in the Sindh Wah within three days.

The road was reopened for vehicular traffic after two hours on the assurance of TPO Shikarpur and some representatives of the irrigation department. Meanwhile, truck drivers also blocked the Sukkur-Shikarpur road for an hour on Thursday to protest against snatching of a truck (QA-4299) from a driver Rafique Machhi in the jurisdiction of Golo Daro police.

NAWABSHAH: Growers of the Manharo minor on Thursday held a protest demonstration outside the press club against what they called an artificial shortage of irrigation water.

They were holding placards and raising slogans against the officials of Dad irrigation division. They also observed a token hunger strike and alleged that the executive engineer Dad irrigation division was selling water to influential landlords and depriving them of their due share. They demanded that the irrigation water should be supplied to their lands.

SUKKUR: Residents of different localities of Sukkur staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday against the Taluka council in connection with non-availability of drinking water and unhygienic conditions in the city.

The residents of New Pind, Islam Colony, Agha Badaruddin colony, Pathan colony, Waseer Muhalla, Kumbhar Muhalla, Pir Murad Shah colony and others participated in the protest. They staged a sit-in at Dadu Chowk, Sukkur, burnt tyres and pelted stones over the vehicular traffic.