DERA MURAD JAMALI: Traffic remained suspended for several hours between Sindh and Balochistan on Sunday as hundreds of growers and farmers staged a sit-in on the National Highway against the stopping of irrigation water in Temple canal.

The protesters marched on various roads and later assembled on the main highway linking Balochistan with Sindh. The protest was organised by Zamindar Action Committee and Umrani Qaumi Ittehad.

The participants of the protest blocked the highway, putting barricades and big rocks.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands, the protesters chanted slogans against the Sindh government for not releasing water in the canal.

Addressing the protesters, Mazar Khan Umrani, Mir Asghar Umrani, Jumma Khan Umrani, Haji Shabbir Ahmad Umrani and others said that the stopping of water in the canal standing had badly affected crops and created serious drinking water shortage in the area.

“Our agricultural lands are becoming barren because of non-availability of water in the canal,” Haji Shabbir Umrani said.

They also criticised the performance of the irrigation department and said that engineers of the department were responsible for the situation.

They demanded of the Balochistan chief minister and the irrigation minister to take notice of the situation which was worsening with every passing day.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2016