10 November 2004	Wednesday	26 Ramazan 1425

SIALKOT, Nov 9: Continuous erosion due to changing courses of the Chenab have forced the poor villagers residing in Bajwat sector to protest against the negligence of the department concerned.

They blame the officials of the department for overlooking the critical issue.

Voicing their concern over the situation, they said more than three dozen houses of the poor villagers had been damaged owing to unchecked erosion in Bajwat's bordering villages, including Papeen, Khanu Bhau and Saddarpura.

The protesting villagers urged the government to take steps to save their agricultural lands and houses from erosion.

It is pertinent to mention that after erosion of hundreds of acres of agricultural lands along with the banks of the Chenab water had some time ago started creeping into the houses of the poor villagers. It has damaged more than three dozen houses so far, making the villagers shift to safer places.

To add fuel to fire, the villagers said, the boatmen of an official and few private boats in Tavi river had been charging double the fare for transporting the people of Bajwat's bordering villages across. They said the boatmen had been charging Rs10 from each person for crossing over the river instead of Rs5, which was a clear-cut exploitation.

During their special meetings, the Kachhi Maand and Phookaliyaan union councils unanimously passed several resolutions in this connection, strongly condemning the exploitation by the boatmen.