SANGHAR, Nov 14: A large number of farmers staged a sit-in outside the DCO office here on Friday to protest against water shortage in the Bakhoro sub-division of irrigation department.

Led by the chairmen and members of the farmers organisations, the growers also took out a procession. After marching on main roads of the city, they reached at the local press club where Riaz Ahmed Bajwa, Gul Sher Rind and others delivered speeches.

They alleged that the irrigation officials had created an artificial water shortage in the area to extort money from the farmers whose 60,000 acres of land were irrigated through Haran distributary and Chotiari, Smathri, Sadhno and Baghdadi minors which had been handed over to the FOs.

They said that half of the wheat sowing season has passed but they had not been able to sow the crop on more than 2,000 acres of land.

They alleged that the irrigation officials were demanding Rs100,000 bribe per month for ensuring proper water supply to each of the distributary/ minors.

They alleged that the police were helping the irrigation officials and registering false cases of water theft against innocent farmers.