MIRPURKHAS, Sept 12: The Sindh Abadgar Board at a meeting held here on Sunday expressed concern over acute shortage of water, saying it was affecting cotton and other crops in the district.

The meeting discussed the water situation and demanded that water theft at the head of the Nara Canal by landlords should be stopped. It alleged that many illegal watercourses were being operated in connivance with irrigation officials.

Despite repeated complaints to authorities concerned, no action had been taken in the matter, it regretted. The meeting deplored withdrawal of Rangers from canals, which it said had led to an increase in water theft, affecting tail-end areas the most.

It urged irrigation authorities to ensure judicious distribution of water so that tail-end growers could get their share. It observed that villagers were not even getting drinking water.

The meeting regretted that cotton and other standing crops would be destroyed if the authorities did not check water theft. SAB vice-president Abdul Ghafoor Mahar presided over the meeting.

KARO-KARI: A man, Mohammad Qaim Khaskheli, allegedly shot his wife dead on the pretext of karo-kari and injured another woman in the Pir Ali Bux Talpur village, Kunri police station jurisdiction, on Saturday.