LARKANA, June 23: Farmers and activists of different political parties, responding to the call of Sindh Qaumi Ittehad, took out a procession in Qambar town on Friday in protest against an acute water shortage in the Qambar-Shahdadkot district.

SQI leaders Gulzar Soomro, Mohrram Chandio and Ghulam Haider Noonari led the protesters.

The protesters carried banners, party flags and placards.

They began marching from the Anaj Mandi and gathered outside the press club.

Speaking on the occasion, farmers and SQI leaders held irrigation officials responsible for the water shortage.

They said that the shortage was affecting paddy seedlings and newly-transplanted plants.

They said that the entire paddy crop belt being irrigated on the Warah canal was suffering due to the water shortage.

They said that most of the irrigation channels and tributaries of the canal were either dried up or flowing with the lowest level of water.

Under the conditions, they said, the people could not cultivate their land.

They called for early releasing of water into the Warah canal so that recently transplanted paddy seedlings could be saved.