SANGHAR, Nov 6: Farmers from the tail-end area of the Dil Shakh branch of the Sanghar irrigation sub-division have said that more than 8,000 acres of land have been rendered barren due to non-availability of water for the last three years.

Farmers, Abdul Majid Narejo, Ali Akbar Rajar, Yaqoob Mangrio, Jan Mohammad Solangi and Mohammad Aachar Jamali told newsmen on Sunday that watercourse No-26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 were in the tail-end.

They alleged that influential landlords at the head of the water channel were stealing their share of water by tampering modules in connivance with officials of the irrigation department.

They said the SDO collected Rs400,000 bribe from the influential landlords and allowed them to steal water.

They said that many peasants migrated to other areas and the soil condition of lands deteriorated due to non-availability of water and became unfit for cultivation.

They said they were facing financial crisis and shopkeepers refused to give them daily eatables on credit.

They appealed to the authorities to provide them water to sow at least fodder for their cattle heads.

The SDO irrigation was not available and the person who attended phone said that the Dilshad branch had been handed over to the Farmers’ Organization and the irrigation department had nothing to do with the distribution of water and abiano collection.

PTCL: The people remained cut off from the rest of the country due to failure of the PTCL and Ufone communication system on Eid day. Hundreds of people who wanted to convey Eid greetings to their relatives and friends could not be able to do so because the telephone network had jumbled up due to heavy load.