LARKANA, June 21: A large number of peasants, growers and small khatedars protesting against acute shortage of irrigation water in Warah barrage and its tributaries demonstrated in Warah on Wednesday.

The protesters staged a sit-in outside the office of taluka nazim Warah, who later joined them.

Speaking on the occasion they said the bed of Mirwah, Naseer Shakh, Nawab Shakh, Punna Shakh, Panhwaro Shakh, Hamid minor and others were dried up.

The recently transplanted paddy seedlings were dying owing to non-availability of water in the above irrigation channels.

The engineers were out of touch while the local officials were unable to resolve the problem where tail-end growers were suffering.

If water was not released in the irrigation channels in time, hundreds of acres of land would be rendered uncultivated, they said.

In Qambar town the tillers, growers in the lead of Moharram Chandio and Dr Nooruddain Bhutto took out a procession decrying shortage of irrigation water.

Demonstrating outside the local press club they said that main irrigation tributaries including Noorang Wah, Noor Wah and Qubo Shakh were without water.

They had transplanted paddy seedlings after the irrigation staff assured them of timely availability of water, they added.

But now scarcity of water was damaging their crops.

Also growers in Qubo Saeed Khan demonstrated against water shortage in Safiullah Magsi branch and a complete strike was observed on Wednesday.

The protesters blocked traffic to Khuzdar and staged a sit-in at “Katchi pul” chowk where they burnt tyres.

They said that Patooja Shakh, Shahan minor and other branches or Saifullah Magsi branch were without water.

The Warah Barrage, Saifullah Magsi branch irrigates thousands of acres of land located in Larkana, Qambar, Shahdadkt, Qubo Saeed Khan and Warah.