MIRPURKHAS: A large number of growers and peasants blocked Naukot-Mithi road by parking tractor-trolleys and closing gate of railway crossing on Wednesday in protest against irrigation department’s stopping supply of water to their area for the past six months.

The protesters told journalists that no functionary of the irrigation department or any political personality of the area was ready to listen to their grievances.

They said that because of mismanagement by irrigation department officers water was not reaching tail-end areas of distributaries and minors of Nara Canal in Naukot subdivision. It had created acute shortage of drinking water, forcing people to fetch brackish water from hand pumps and wells and from private filter plants, they said.

They said that their cattle were dying without water and agriculture lands had turned barren.

They urged director general of Rangers Sindh, chief minister, irrigation minister and engineer of Jamrao and Mithrao canals to stop water theft and ensure removal of illegally installed pumping machines on both banks of the Nara Canal near Khairpur.

They demanded action against corrupt officers of irrigation department and supply of water to their area and warned they would be compelled to launch a massive protest campaign against the irrigation department if they did not get water.

SUKKUR: Farmers and peasants of Sagiyoon town in Khairpur district arrived in Sukkur on Wednesday and staged a sit-in outside the office of chief engineer of Sukkur Barrage against the irrigation department’s failure to carry out de-silting of Kharl minor for the past 18 months.

The protesters led by Noor Ahmed Lak, Ali Mohammad, Sharif and others said that water was not reaching the tail-end because of heavy silt deposits, rendering more than 25,000 acres land barren.

They said that they could not sow any crop because of acute shortage of water in the minor and accused corrupt officers of irrigation department of having usurped the funds meant for de-silting of the minor.

They demanded Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah should take notice of the situation and take action against corrupt officials.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2018