LARKANA, June 23: The residents of Sabo Kartiyo, Pir Mataro and Panjoodero villages blocked Sukkur-Larkana road near here on Monday to demand compensation for their rice crop damaged by water coming out of a canal breach.

Around 150 villagers, led by Abdul Hameed Mangnejo, Haji Khan Kartiyo and Abdul Majeed, took part in the protest.

They said that the negligence of the area irrigation officials caused the recent breach in the Rice Canal near Panjoodero due to which rice saplings worth Rs2 million were damaged.

The traffic on the road remained suspended for half an hour.

Another group of villagers held a demonstration at the DPO Chowk here against the police failure to arrest two murder accused.

They came in tractor trolleys and staged a sit-in at the roundabout, blocking the road for more than two hours.

They deplored that the police had failed to arrest Amanat Abro and Slamat Abro, nominated in the murder FIR of Allah Wadhayo Abro, who was killed here a fortnight back.