October 29, 2007	Monday	Shawwal 16, 1428

DADU, Oct 28: Thousands of growers did not to cultivate cotton, wheat, vegetables and other crops and about 60,000 acres of land remained barren in Johi, Dadu, Sita, and Bhan Syedabad sub-divisions due to shortage of irrigation water in Dadu and Jamshoro districts during the current Rabi season.

In order to register their protest, a large number of farmers staged protest demonstrations in Dadu, Johi, Sita and Bhan towns on Sunday against the acute shortage of irrigation water in waterways originating from Dadu and Johi canals.

A large number of farmers of Pir Gunio waterway originating from Dadu canal held a demonstration outside the office of the executive engineer of the irrigation department of Dadu on Sunday.

Led by Nihal Khan, Khan Shaikh and Abdul Alim Shaikh, they maintained that irrigation officials were selling water to influential growers. Influential growers have illegally tampered all modules and water courses as a result of which hundreds of farmers could not cultivate cotton, wheat and other crops and vegetable.

They said they had visited the office and residence of the executive engineer of irrigation department of Dadu who refused to meet them.