MIRPURKHAS, May 29: Hundreds of farmers of the Bareji distributary held a demonstration outside the office of the director of the Nara canal area water board in protest against water shortage in tail-end areas. Saleem Panhwar, Khan Mohammad Maher and Gulzar Lashari led the protesters.

The protesters carried banners and placards and raised slogans against Yar Mohammad Baloch, the chairman of the Farmers’ Organisation of the Bareji distributary.

They also burnt old tyres and locked doors of the office confining the staff inside.

They said that they had been deprived of water for four months and even drinking water was not available in their area.

They said that their cattle were dying due to non-availability of water.

They accused the FO chairman of involvement in water theft as watercourses at head of the distributary were tempered under the order for consideration of illegal gratification from landlords.

They said that water did not reach tail-end areas and crops were destroyed.

They said that they had failed to sow cotton crop.

They demanded that the chairman of the Sindh Irrigation Drainage Authority should suspend FO chairman.

They demanded that the Sindh chief minister should deploy Rangers along the distributary.

District Naib Nazim Dr Zafar Kamali reached the director office and negotiated with protesters.

He assured them that Rangers would be deployed along the distributary and water would reach tail-end farmers.

Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Meanwhile, farmers of the Mari minor held a demonstration outside the press club in protest closure of the minor.

They wore black armbands and carried banners and placards, raising slogans against SDO irrigation Jhol and demanding irrigation authorities to open minor without.

They were led by Taluka Naib Nazim Hussain Bux Mari and UC Nazim Ali Nawaz Mari.

The protesters demanded that cases against landlords of the minor should be withdrawn.

They said that the SDO irrigation Jhol, Amjad Memon, had taken money from landlord Thakur Nazeer Qaimkhani for providing more water to his lands.

A delegation of protesters also talked to executive engineer of the Jamrao canal.

The taluka naib nazim said that the minor would remain opened for 15 days and closed for fortnight and modules’ size would be approved accordingly.

He said that the Mari minor was opened by order of the director of the Nara canal.