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| May 15, 2006 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 16, 1427 |
Protest against water shortage
KHAIRPUR, May 14: Farmers in Sobhodero taluka and Agra union council continued their protest on the second consecutive day on Sunday against the acute shortage of irrigation water.
In Agra, the farmers led by Nazim Union Council Mian Fida Abbasi and Comrade Nawaz Jiskani, said that on one hand they were facing acute shortage of water while on the other the irrigation authorities had planned to install a pipe in Ketchi watercourse which was fed by Faiz Nahar canal.
The outlet would disrupt irrigation system and badly affect crops on hundreds of acres, they complained.
Sukkur Barrage Chief Engineer Agha Aijaz Ahmed Pathan accompanied by other officials visited Ketchi watercourse on Saturday and met with the farmers.
He told them that the pipe would be installed in the Ketchi watercourse under the directives of an inquiry committee constituted by provincial irrigation minister.
After the talks between the chief engineer and the farmers, it was decided that the farmers would present documentary proofs about Ketchi water-course to the inquiry committee within three days.
The farmers’ action committee had observed hunger strike in Sukkur for about 15 days in protest against direct outlets fed by Faiz Nahar canal including Ketchi watercourse.
In Sobhodero taluka, the farmers’ protested outside the shrine of Sufi saint Saeen Mehdi Shah Jehanian near Ranipur against unavailability of water in Abul Wah and other minors.
Led by Khairpur Abadgar Ittehad general secretary Faqir Niaz Ali Bhambhro, Faqir Mouj Ali and Abdul Ghafoor Mangi, the protesters said that Abul Wah and other minors were virtually running dry and they had not even drinking water for their livestock.
To make the matters worse, many Scarp tube-wells, which were a great help in times of water shortage, had gone out of order, they said adding when they requested officials to repair the tube-wells, they demanded donations for repairing the machines as well as for keeping them in working condition.
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