10 February 2005	Thursday	30 Zilhaj 1425

DADU, Feb 9: The irrigation department has announced that the Dadu Canal and Johi Branch Canal are facing 50 per cent water shortage whereas farmers have continued protest against the shortage in Mirpurkhas.

The executive engineer of the Dadu southern division of the Sindh irrigation department has announced the water rotation programme for the outlets of the Dadu Canal and Johi Branch Canal.

According to the announcement, due to 50 per cent shortage of water in the canals, direct outlet-9, 7, 85, 109 and channels originating from the Johi Canal, including Piaro Goth, Pir Gunio, Pat Minor, Phakka, Lower Noorwah, Pipri, Daim Kakar, Begodero and Pahore minor canals will remain closed from February 10 to 12.

Similarly, 15 channels of the Johi Canal and 22 of the Dadu Canal, including New Goth, Sari, Nagia, Rap Nari, Rahuja, Pai, Sita, Dogar, Rabi Lakhair, Rukkan, Upper Noorwah, Baghban, Khudabad, Bakhrani, Upper Farm, Dubi, Pusia, Dal, Bhan, Wasai, Sukhpur, Qaumi Charo, Veji, Qambar, Mir Mohammad, Patoro, Phulji, Thariri, Noonari and Khan minor canals will remain closed from February 12 to 20.

MIRPURKHAS: Around 200 farmers held demonstrations outside the irrigation department office and press club here on Wednesday to protest against non-availability of water in the Girhore distributary for two and half months.

Speaking to journalists, they said that their standing crops of wheat, sugarcane and vegetables had dried up and around 35,000 acres of land had been rendered barren. They alleged that the SDO and a surveyor of the irrigation department were demanding bribe for releasing water into the channel.

They further alleged that influential landlords had tempered with 15 watercourses after bribing the irrigation officials, including the SDO.

They called upon the Sindh chief minister and irrigation secretary to take strict notice of their predicament, transfer the SDO and ensure restoration of water supply to the channel.

Meanwhile, another group of farmers held a demonstration and observed a token hunger strike outside the press club to protest non-provision of water to the Dilshad channel.

They said that the irrigation officials were demanding illegal gratification for supply of water to the channel.

They told journalists said that land along the tail-end of the channel, irrigated by the Mithrao Canal, was lying dry for two months, causing losses to standing crops.

About 7,000 acres of land had been rendered barren, they said and added that an artificial shortage of water was continuing in the area for four years.

They claimed that despite payment of illegal gratification of Rs8000 per watercourse to the SDO and a Darogha, water was not being supplied to their land and villagers were fetching drinking water from far-flung areas.

They called upon the authorities to take notice of the situation, suspend the SDO and the Darogha and ensure supply of water to them, failing which they would launch a protest campaign.