THATTA: Scores of growers, labourers, activists of different nationalist parties and members of general public staged a sit-in on Thatta-Hyderabad section of the National Highway at Chatto Chand town on Thursday in protest against persistent shortage of water, negligence of irrigation department officials and unfair distribution of water.

The protest led to suspension of traffic on both sides of the highway for hours, causing great inconvenience to picnickers who were returning from recreational spots on the third day of Eid.

Leaders of grower’s associations, including Haji Hassan Jakhro, Hanif Soomro, Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party leader Syed Jalal Shah and others slammed the provincial government over its failure to resolve the longstanding issue of water scarcity.

They said that a huge population of the district had been braving acute shortage of water for the past two months but neither the government officials nor the elected representatives were ready to pay heed to the problem.

They said that main channels of the district, including Saamki, Halaat, Jam Wah, Thatta Channel, Gharo Massan, Bayo Purandas, Khatiyaan left-right, Sadabahar Naali, and Jam Branch were running dry, dealing a serious blow to agriculture, livestock and fishing sectors.

“We are not ready to believe this shortage is natural because it is direct result of unfair distribution of water by the officials concerned of the department,” they said, adding the situation had become alarming and the district was heading towards a drought-like conditions.

Later, special assistant to chief minister MPA Syed Riaz Hussain Shah Sheerazi met the protesters and persuaded them to the end the sit-in. He said that he would take up the issue with the chief minister.

MIRPURKHAS: Hundreds of farmers and landowners took out a procession under the banner of tail end abadgars welfare association, from DIG police office to local press club, on Thursday in protest against armed attack on some officials of the irrigation department in Digri.

The protesters led by Naseer Ramzan, Mehboob Khoro, Mir Ali Ahmed Talpur and others demanded immediate arrest of the main suspect in the case and protection to irrigation officials to ensure smooth supply of water up to tail-end areas.

The protesters held a demonstration at the press club and told journalists that many feudal lords and elected representatives were involved in water theft and tampering with watercourses. But now they would not allow anyone to deprive them of their share of water, they said.

They supported director of Nara Canal and his engineers and demanded deployment of Rangers personnel along water channels to check water theft.

They warned that if protection was not provided to director of Nara Canal and his officials they would block main roads of the district and launch a protest drive.

In another demonstration against acute shortage of water in Samaro Shakh, scores of growers blocked the main Sindhri-Khipro road by burning tyres and putting hurdles on the road.

They said that their crops were drying up without water while their share of water was being stolen. They demanded authorities concerned ensure supply of water into Samaro Shakh and end water theft.

Later, they dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2022