MIRPURKHAS: Under the security of Rangers personnel, monitoring teams of irrigation department inspected several watercourses in the command area of Nara Canal on Sunday and lodged cases on charges of water theft against seven landlords after finding the watercourses irrigating their farmland tampered with.

Sources said that the teams found four watercourses fed by Nabisar Shakh tampered with and registered cases under Section 430 PPC and Irrigation Act 61/62 against the water thieves identified as Mano Kolhi, Lal Khan, Kewal, Hakim Meghwar at Samaro police station.

The team also found three watercourses fed by Toori Minor in Sanghar subdivision tampered with and registered cases against Photo Wassan, Muhabbat Sanjrani and Hasil Hingoro at Sanghar police station.

The tampered watercourses were repaired by the irrigation staff but no suspect had been detained yet by police.

Meanwhile, scores of growers and landlords took out a procession in Naokot town on Sunday in support of director Nara Canal Area Water Board Mansoor Ahmed Memon and his staff.

The farmers, led by Tail-end Abadgars Association representatives Moosa Ahmadani and Mohammad Ramzan marched on main roads before reaching Naokot press club where they expressed solidarity with engineer Memon and his team members.

They deplored that they had been deprived of their share of water in the tail-end of Nara Canal for two years and their land had turned barren but Mr Memon ensured they received water.

They demanded higher authorities provide help to Mr Memon to improve the irrigation system and end water theft.

STP to protest against water shortage

HYDERABAD: Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) has resolved to stage protest on May 13 in all district headquarters against nagging water shortage in the province.

The decision was taken on Sunday at the party’s central committee meeting with Dr Qadir Magsi in the chair.

Dr Magsi said that water shortage had become severe in Sindh and people were not even getting water for drinking. Sindh was not receiving its share of water while the available water flows were diverted to feudal lords in collusion with administrative machinery and ruling party, he said.

He said that due to unabated water shortage adequate flows were not being released Kotri barrage downstream, paralysing entire life. Indus delta had been badly affected by the water shortage and lost its biodiversity, he said.

He deplored that millions of acres of land had been devoured by sea. Pakistan Peoples Party had been ruling Sindh for a long time but it had failed to get Sindh’s share of water, he said.

He said that the party remained irrelevant to miseries of Sindh and it could never become people-friendly as it represented only feudal lords and chieftains. Solution to all problems of Sindh rested with nationalist thinking and formation of an alliance of Sindhi nationalists was a step in the right direction, he said.

Growers hold protests in Dadu

DADU: A large number of growers staged separate demonstrations in Phulji Station and Johi towns against acute shortage of water in Dadu Canal and Johi Branch.

In Phulji Station, protesting growers took out a procession and marched to local press club where they staged a demonstration.

The protesters’ leader Mashoor Memon said that Dadu Canal had been closed for past two months, causing shortages of water even for drinking. They were worried about water for their cattle heads and families, he said.

He said that 25,000 acres land had become barren as people had not been able to cultivate paddy or cotton crops on the land for so long a time.

In Johi town, growers took out a procession against acute shortage of water in Johi Branch.

The protesters leaders staged a demonstration before local press club where they demanded provision of water for paddy and cotton crops and for drinking. About 50,000 acres land depended on Johi canal but after shortages of water in Indus, not a single drop of water had been into the canal for the last two months, he said.

Meanwhile, residents of Johi town also staged demonstration before the local press club in protest against shortage of drinking water.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2022