MITHI, Jan 6: Many people residing in Thar have started shifting to safer places as a precautionary measure against the large deployment of Indian troops in Rajasthan, an Indian state bordering Sindh.

On being contacted, reliable sources in the district administration told this correspondent on Sunday that villagers had not been advised to vacate their villages, and added that the villagers were shifting of their own free will.

It was learnt that a significant number of the residents of Diplo, Chhachhro, Umerkot and Nagarparkar tehsils had left their villages.

Some of the notables of Juneja and Lund communities of Diplo Tehsil, who had shifted their families, told this correspondent that the castes of Rahuma, Lund, Soomra, Bhambhia, Sayed, and Kapri had shifted from Paneli, Kohyaro, Pabuhar, Tailo Jan, Saang, Rojhan, Thooher Chhaho, Vingi, Kangni, Teerar, Nabisar Lanja and Mithrio Sootar to other villages and towns fearing war was going to breakout between India and Pakistan.

Elderly men belonging to Nathro, Manjhthi, and Kuhario villages complained that transporters probably fearing war had stopped plying their vehicles on these routes as a result of which thousands of people were finding it extremely difficult to commute to hospitals and basic health units, and also to towns for fetching essential commodities to meet their daily requirements.

The villagers have urged the district coordination officer, the district Nazim, and army authorities to take notice of the non-plying of coasters in Thar.

In Umerkot, a good number of people residing in Rahuma, Nohri, Sama, Khosa, Daal, and Kumbhar have also moved fearing war.