KARACHI, Oct 9: Chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party Ms Benazir Bhutto has expressed solidarity with the people of Thatta whose crops had been destroyed in flooding caused by defective drainage system in that district.

In a statement issued by the PPP media cell here on Monday, the former premier expressed her shock over the government’s attitude towards the plight of the suffering villagers, observing that no remedial measures had been taken despite the fact that for several years, the defective drainage system had been causing damage to the crops in certain parts of that district, ruining life of the villagers, besides dealing a blow to the national economy.

Ms Bhutto also observed that a majority of people in the country earned their livelihood through agriculture and her party had always safeguarded the rights of the majority.

In this context, she recalled that agricultural production under the PPP government had risen from zero per cent to seven per cent, helping the poorer sections of society in enhancing their income, creating more job opportunities in this sector and contributing to the country’s increased export earnings.

Ms Bhutto assured growers that PPP would remain committed to their welfare, and asked them to support the party to regain powers in the upcoming general elections.

Hundreds of growers from different villages had staged a protest demonstration against the administration following widespread damage to their standing crops, which were submerged under the recent spillage from a section of the Nari Sakro drain.

The spillage continued to play havoc with the crops in Mirpur Sakro Taluka for one week as the administration failed to take remedial measures.

According to the affected growers, they also lost their houses in the flooding. They claimed that certain influential landowners having protection of the government had resorted to tampering with the drain which had led to the overflow and backflow, ultimately causing the flooding that submerged Barosari, Bhalki and Samejani villages of UC Karampur and Sukhapur.

Standing crops of sugarcane and vegetables in several other villages, including Ali Mohammad Jamari village, Khair Mohammad Dars village and Soomar Dars village, had also been affected, they added.

They demanded removal of the obstructions put up in the drain so that flood water from their lands could be flushed out.