MIRPURKHAS: Scores of villagers staged protests on Friday against irrigation department’s failure to drain out rain and floodwaters inundating their areas for over 45 days in Jhuddo and Sindhri talukas.

In Jhuddo taluka, a large number of people staged a demonstration in Khubbar Khan Nohani village in protest against irrigation department’s failure to close a breach in the LBOD near Jiskani village.

The protesters urged the authorities to immediately plug the breach and drain out floodwaters from their village.

They said the drain had developed the breach 45 days ago but irrigation authorities had since failed to plug it, forcing them to take refuge on high ground and along roads in makeshift huts.

They regretted that district administration had not provided them ration bags and food and demanded Sindh chief minister ensure the breach was plugged without delay and ration bags were provided to flood-hit people.

In Sindhri taluka, scores of flood-hit people held a demonstration on Sindhri-Khipro road against irrigation department and district administration’s failure to drain out stagnant floodwaters inundating their areas for over a month.

They said that over a hundred villages in Hingorno town committee had submerged in floodwaters, forcing the villagers had to move to safe places. The district administration did not provide them any relief, they complained.

They demanded the authorities ensure drainage of floodwaters from their areas and provision of relief goods.

Later, police dispersed the protesters forcibly and restored traffic on the main road.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2022