MULTAN, Aug 11: Scores of the people from among the riverine communities living alongside the river Indus held a protest demonstration at Taunsa Barrage against the alleged highhandedness of an engineering firm, which is carrying out the task of rehabilitation and modernization of the reservoir.

The protesters were the people who have been displaced due to what is being called the Taunsa Barrage Emergency Rehabilitation and Modernization Project (TBERMP). The protest call was given by a forum named Sindhu Bachao Tarla.

The protesters said that the local communities had requested the engineering firm, DESCON, not to carry out the work for long hours in the night because it caused disturbance to them, especially to their women, who had to sleep in the open after being dislocated.

But the firm allegedly did not pay heed to their request. Rather its staff reportedly started harassing residents of Allahwali Basti, a village that came into being after the encampment of the displaced residents of the project area. The matter led to confrontation between the firm and the locals. Resultantly, a case was lodged against some 15 people for allegedly hampering the construction work. Two of the accused were arrested as well.

Prior to resorting to the token protest on Friday, the locals held a meeting with the irrigation department sub-divisional officer Rana Afzal and local DESCON administrator Qazi Muzammil. The SBT officer-bearers said that the two officials had promised that in future the local population would be given preference in hiring workers and the World Bank guideline of doing the work only in the daytime would also be followed. They said the protest was just to demonstrate the resolve of the local people to get addressed their grievances.

The two officials have reportedly given the undertaking of sorting out all the issues of the local population lying pending with their respective organizations before Sept 15.