SANGHAR, June 25: A large number of farmers blocked the road leading to Tando Adam in Shahdadpur on Friday to protest against the water shortage at the tail-end of the Lundo Minor.

Led by Urs Dero, Abdul Ghaffar Brohi and others, the protesters gathered near the Police Training College and put a fallen tree on the road to block it.

They alleged that the influential landlords at the upper stretch of the Lundo Shakh had tampered with watercourses with the connivance of the irrigation officials. They added that the irrigation officials received Rs50,000 to Rs80,000 for allowing the landlords to break a module. As a result of the water theft, they said, land falling at the tail-end of the channel had been deprived of its share of water.

A large number of police arrived on the spot and Shahdadpur ASP Parvez Ahmed Chandio negotiated with the protesters.

The SDO, irrigation, was called there and he promised to provide the farmers with water within 24 hours on which they lifted the road blockade.

Due to the protest, the road remained blocked for more than three hours, which created problems for commuters.

CYCLIST KILLED: A cyclist, Asghar Ansari, 26, resident of Toor Colony, Tando Adam, died after his cycle was hit by a truck (TR-5865) on Tando Adam-Hyderabad road on Friday. The truck driver fled from the scene. Police have impounded the truck.