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BADIN, July 21: Hundreds of farmers held a demonstration at the Imam Wah bridge on Wednesday against an acute water shortage in the tail-end of the waterway.
They said that their paddy saplings were drying up due to shortage of water which they attributed to negligence and mismanagement by the irrigation officials.
Riding on tractor trolleys, the farmers reached the bridge near the Army Welfare Public College on Badin-Karachi road. Led by Syed Allah Dino Shah and others including councillors, they took out a procession and then staged a sit-in on the road, resulting in suspension of vehicular traffic from 9am to 5pm.
Speaking at the gathering, the farmers' leaders said that the growers had spent huge amount on developing land and purchasing seeds but due to shortage of water, their cultivated paddy crop was being damaged.
They said that the assistant engineers concerned always remained out of their offices, hence, complaint could not be lodged with them. They alleged that the irrigation officials were selling water to influential landlords at the head of the waterway.
The angry farmers reportedly torn clothes of an assistant engineer when he tried to persuade them to end their protest. They ended their protest when executive engineer reached Zahir Shah came there and assured them of water availability.
DADU: Farmers and activists of various political parties took out a protest procession in Johi on Wednesday against shortage of water in waterways of the Johi Branch.
The activists of the People's Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan People's Party-SB, Sindh National Front and the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz participated in the procession.
Led by Johi Abadgar Association chairman Ghulam Qadir Rind, taluka JSQM president Ghulam Nabi Bohoto and Citizens' Ittehad president Qurban Khokhar, the protesters marched through main roads and streets and held a demonstration on the Dadu-Johi road outside the office of the SDO, irrigation.
Talking to the protesters, Mr Rind said water level in the Johi Branch should have been six feet and four inches but it was only one and a half foot. He said there was no water in channels originating from the Johi Branch, including Lakha, Nonari, Chejani, Patoro, Dala and Chhinni, due to which crops could not be cultivated on thousands of acres of land.
He alleged that irrigation officials were selling water to influential farmers. Later, the protesters observed a token hunger strike.
SUKKUR: Farmers of Thul held a protest demonstration and observed a two-hour hunger strike outside the Jacobabad Press Club on Wednesday against water shortage in the Moosa Allah Yar Shakh.
The protestors said the Moosa Allah Yar Shakh, which was the only channel irrigating lands in Thul and its surrounding areas, was without water for one week. They said their crops were drying up due to the water shortage. They demanded that irrigation authorities should ensure supply of water into the channel.
JACOBABAD: A large number of farmers from different villages of Thul taluka staged a demonstration here on Wednesday against the shortage of water in the Sone Wah canal. Union council Nazar Mohammad Karnani nazim Kamal Karnani and others led the protesters.
The growers blocked the Indus Highway for some time and held a sit-in before Sindh minister Sohrab Sarki. Speaking on the occasion, the minister assured the farmers that water would be supplied to the canal.
