LARKANA, July 17: Protesting against an acute shortage of water in Sonhari Wah which irrigates over 1,500 acres of land, hundreds of farmers and elected representatives blocked the Mohenjodaro Airport Road near the Bachal Wahan village at Mehrani Shakh (irrigation channel) on Monday.

The blockade was led by the nazims of union councils of Mehrabpur and Purano, Mr Abdul Hameed Jaisar and Sarfraz Bughio besides Nisar Ahmed Channa.

The affected people from Bakrani, Dokri and the adjoining areas joined the protest.

Vehicular traffic remained suspended for six hours as protesters put logs and stationed tractor trolleys on the roads.

Brushing aside police request to clear the road, they continued to raise slogans against irrigation officials.

They accused irrigation officials of ruining their lands at the cost of releasing more water to farmlands belonging to Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Jatoi.

The Dadu canal was flowing to its maximum capacity with the Sonhari Wah having no water, the protesters said.

As the protesting growers became hostile, the district nazim of Larkana Mohammed Bakhsh Arijo, the District Coordination Officer of Larkana, Mohammed Naseer Jamali, and the District Police Officer of Larkana, Irfan Baloch, rushed to the site and intervened.

The protestors were also joined by Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro demanded an assurance by the irrigation officials for releasing water into the Sonhari Wah.

Later the Chief Engineer of Irrigation, Atta Mohammed Soomro, the Superintendent Engineer and the Executive Engineer of Dadu Canal, Amjad Parvez, arrived at the scene.

They negotiated with the protesters and promised to release water into the wah within 48 hours.

The protesters alleged that irrigation officials had kept them on false hopes and promises.

MPA Imtiaz Shaikh also got stuck up in the protest and phoned Sindh Irrigation Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari to redress grievances of growers.

The minister said water would be released within 48 hours when their rotation turn would begin.

Due to shortage of water the recently transplanted paddy seedlings were dying, they claimed and apprehended colossal losses.

A three-member committee headed by the Deputy District Officer Revenue, Dokri, a DSP and a representative of the irrigation department would ensure judicious distribution of water within two days in the Sonhari Wah.

PROTEST: A large number of farmers from several villages of Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts staged a protest demonstration against acute shortage of water in the Shaikh Zayed Hospital Chowk. The protesters led by Ghulam Muhstaf Tunio, Rajib Qazi and Manzoor burnt tyres on the roads bringing the traffic to a standstill.