June 05, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1429

THATTA, June 4: Scores of people took to streets and blocked the National Highway here on Wednesday to protest against acute shortage of drinking water.

The protestors raised slogans and blamed the Irrigation department and the Thatta taluka municipal administration for the acute shortage of water in their area.

The agitated protesters were carrying empty utensils, cans and blocked the traffic for over two hours on the main National Highway.

The protesters led by leaders of the Shehri Ittehad Committee said that they had not received water for the last two months and were left with no other option but to protest.

They threatened to lay siege to the TMA Thatta Office, if water supply was not restored to their area. The protestors said the TMA officials had done nothing to resolve the water crisis.

When contacted, the executive engineer of Kalri Baghar circle, Irrigation department, Faheem Soomro, said that the requirement of district Thatta was 7000 cusecs per day while the total water supply was 1400 cusecs only.

He said of this total supply, 1100 cusecs was being supplied to Karachi which left only 300 cusecs for Thatta district. However, the problem would be overcome in five days, he hoped.