THATTA: A polio team faced strong resistance in Abdul Razzaq Sammu village in Gharo where people had already decided to boycott the drive until their years-long demand of drinking water supply was met.

As soon as the polio team entered the village, a large number of its residents led by their community leaders started raising slogans for water and refused to get their children vaccinated. They blocked the way for the team near the shrine of Bola Shah and asked them to turn away.

The community leaders, Abdul Razzaq, Sikandar, Abdul Ghaffoor, Dildar and others, told the team and local reporters that they had been facing a drinking water crisis for years together and had long been urging elected representatives, the office of the deputy commissioner and officials of the Public Health Engineering Department to help get drinking water but no practical step had been taken in this regard so far.

“We will not allow any polio team to vaccinate our children until this demand is met,” they said.

The villagers’ refusal caused considerable tension and the area police were about to move into action but the Makli Town Committee chairman timely turned up and held negotiations with the agitating villagers.

After the long session failed to persuade the villagers to soften their stance, District Council Chairman Hameed Panhwar also arrived to join the town committee chairman in the talks. Finally, he had to promise that a water supply line would be provided to the area as soon as possible.

On his commitment, the villagers ended their boycott and allowed the polio team to vaccinate their children.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2025