March 18, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

THATTA, March 17: Suspen-sion of water supply to nine canals over the past two months has damaged crops standing on thousands of acres of land in Mirpur Bathoro taluka of Thatta district, besides delaying wheat sowing.

The president of the Thatta chapter of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Shahzad Shah Hussaini, told journalists that affected canals included Garhi, Shah, Chor, Fateha, Baghar, Jafar, Ali Behra and Mehmood Wahs. Due to suspension of water supply to the canals, he said, sugarcane, vegetable and banana crops had been badly affected and wheat sowing was being delayed.

He said scarcity of water had also resulted into enormous problems for fish farms and the drying up of reservoirs from where drinking water was supplied to urban and rural areas of the taluka.

OPERATION: The police have sealed exit and entry points of Khadi and Molchand forests to carry out a search operation against bandits.

Thatta DPO Najaf Quly Mirza told Dawn that heavy contingents of police from eight police stations — including Darro, Banu, Jhoke, Sujawal and Mirpur Bathoro — had surrounded the forests.

The operation is being launched on the complaints of local people about criminal activities of gangs led by Adlo Soomro, Sattar Janwari who use the forests as safe haven. There are complaints that the bandits indulge in extortion and demand other things from farmers and if anyone fails to meet their demands, his standing crop is set on fire.

ROAD BLOCKED: Members of Lasi community blocked Thatta-Sujawal road by setting tyres on fire and raising barricades to protest against what they claimed the arrest of their elder Karim Bux Lasi by the Thatta police over a land dispute.