June 25, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LARKANA, June 24: A large number of farmers took out a procession in Shahdadkot town on Saturday in protest against water shortage in the Khirthar canal, Saifulah Magsi branch and Shahdadkot branch.

Sindh Abadgar Board Qambar-Shahdadkot president Ishaque Mughiri, Mohammed Bakhsh Khuhawar, Khalid Umar Khoso and Mir Mithal Mughiri led the protesters.

They said that there was no water in the main arteries of irrigation feeding 175,000 acres in Sindh’s rice belt.

They said that tributaries and channels of the Saifullah Magsi branch — Noorpur Shakh, Imdad minor, Patoojo Shakh, Dhori Shakh, Shahbaig, Qubo Shakh, Gandakha (left and right), New Gandakha, Eiddan minor, Chuki minor and Shahan minor — were also without water.

They said that farmers and peasants had prepared paddy nurseries for transplantation but there was no water to irrigate them. They said that there was no water in offshoots of the Shahdadkot branch — Tanveri Shakh, Gul Shakh, Mastoi Shakh, Soonharo Shakh, Sanjjar Shakh, Maqsoodo Shakh, Kalhoro and Leghari water channels.

They called for early release of water in the main three irrigation channels.

PROTEST: People took out a procession on Saturday in protest against frequent power shutdown in Larkana city’s UC-11.

Shabbir Palijo and Altaf Abro led the protesters.

The protesters burnt tyres at the Qambar railway crossing and near the DPO office in Nazar area. They said that Hesco officials had removed a transformer of their area a week ago and since then people of the area were braving the sizzling heat.

They said that despite repeated appeals Hesco officials were delaying installation of the new transformer.

The Hesco SDO negotiated with the protesters and assured for early restoration of power supply.