FAISALABAD, Dec 21: Sadar Tehsil Municipal Administration Nazim Muhammad Afzal Chaudhry says that residents and farmers living along the Jhang Branch Canal are extending full cooperation for sinking 22 tubewells in their area under the mega water supply project funded by a Japanese organization.

In a statement here on Saturday, the Tehsil Nazim said that the area people had also openly declared that they would not allow any body to sabotage this mega project. “Few elements are befooling the innocent people for their political motives,” he added.

He said Nazims and Naib Nazims of union councils of the area, notables, tillers of the soil had shown their complete support for the implementation of the project in its present place along the Jhang Branch canal.

He stressed upon the provincial and district governments to put in all efforts for immediate commencement of work.

He claimed that there would be absolutely no decrease in the underground water level in the area after the sinking of 22 tubewels.

Meanwhile, a number of elected councillors, Nazims, Naib Nazims and NGO representatives belonging to areas along Jhang Branch Canal have welcomed the grant of Rs3.5 billion announced by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the supply of sweet water to people of Faisalabad.

water dispute: Villagers of Chak 52-GB, Samundri, and its adjoining hamlets are facing problems since the demolition of a water outlet by irrigation authorities 10 days ago.

A group of villagers, including Rana Asif Mahmood, Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Riaz, Faqir Hussain, Rana Waqar Ahmed and Kamran Asif, told newsmen here on Sunday that wheat sowing over more than 800 acres had been affected.

They said that the Irrigation officials aided by police had demolished an outlet, ignoring a stay order by the civil court.

Giving details about the construction of outlet, they maintained that former chief minister Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo had ordered a direct water outlet on August 22, 1994. The Irrigation Chief Engineer then issued orders for the transfer of area outlets RD:1100 TF and TL of Nasri Minor, Nasri distributary, to direct outlet RD:251000/L, Lower Gogera Branch, Chak 52-GB on Feb 19, 1995.

The chief engineer had also directed the landowners to bear all the expenditure incurred on the construction of the outlet and they did so.

Following recent threats by the Irrigation Department to close the outlet, the villagers approached the court of senior civil Judge, Faisalabad, and got a stay order.

They urged the Punjab chief minister to come to their rescue and save them from starvation.