KOHAT: The farmers and owners of orchards have demanded of the local irrigation department to launch long due desiltation of canals and tunnels to stop wastage of water so it can reach the tail-end.

They demanded that water overflowing from the Kaghazai barrage should be diverted and stored in the Tanda dam so that ample water was available for the Kharif crop.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, president of farmers association, Iftikhar ud Din and former councillor of Togh Bala Haji Nasrullah Khan regretted that garbage had been lying scattered in every town of Kohat which fell into the canals and blocked them.

They said that desiltation had not been carried out this year due to unknown reasons, adding they would take up the issue with the provincial irrigation department.

LOADSHEDDING PROTESTED: The residents of urban union council of Jungle Khel have complained about prolonged electricity loadshedding continuing in the area since Ramazan.

They warned that they will stage a dharna in front of the houses of the CM’s adviser and the state minister if the outages were not stopped.

They said that the loadshedding continued during whole Ramazan and Eid was also not exempted. They said that a population of 70,000 inhabitants was victimised with the advent of summer due to power theft by a few people.

They said that along with low voltage the people were being subjected to half hour loadshedding after every hour which was injustice with them.

They asked why the Pesco did not arrest the power thieves who were hand in glove with the officials and meter readers.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2020