DADU, May 11: A team of irrigation experts inspected desilting works and other projects of the Dadu Canal and the Johi Branch here on Thursday.

The team, comprising project manager of revamping/rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage system, former Sindh irrigation secretary Mohammad Idrees Rajput, and consultants Noor Ahmad Baloch and Azizullah Kalari, inspected ongoing works of desilting of the Dadu Canal from RD-425 to RD-605 and RD-67 to RD-95 of the Johi Branch.

Briefing the team, the executive engineer of southern irrigation division, Shafqat Hussain Wadhoo, said the desilting work would cost Rs135 million and water shortage would be reduced after completion of the project.

He said desilting of two RDs of the Dadu Canal and eight RDs of the Johi Branch would be completed within two days.

Mr Rajput said that due two technical faults in the Dadu Canal and the Johi Branch, the channels were not getting full share of water. He said water was not reaching tail-end because there was silt in the channels.

Mr Baloch said the actual demand of growers of the Johi Branch was 1,600 cusecs of water but the channel was getting 800 cusecs.

He said the Dadu Canal and the Johi Branch were meant for irrigating cotton fields but farmers were cultivating paddy crop.

PROCESSION: Activists of the STP took out a procession here on Thursday in protest against demolition of old villages of Sindhis in Karachi and construction of Kalabagh and Bhasha dams on the Indus River.