MIRPURKHAS, April 7: Growers observed protest against the construction of Thal canal in an open kutchery held by Sindh ministers for irrigation, power and agriculture in village Mohammad Hashim Bhurgari on Saturday.

During the speech of the irrigation and power minister Syed Ali Mir Shah, the growers carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the Thal canal project and raised slogans against the government, demanding cancellation of the project.

They also complained about the involvement of the irrigation officials of the area in water theft.

Responding to the complaints, Mr Shah said that corrupt and inefficient officers of the irrigation department will be sacked by taking legal action against them.

He said that due to the acute shortage of water in Sindh for two years, the are had been adversely affected.

However, he said, water supply situation had now improved and the distributaries will be supplied water for two weeks in each month adding that more water was being supplied to the Nara Canal by decreasing the water supply to the Rohri Canal for providing water to tail-enders.

Sindh Agriculture Minister Hassan Ali Chanhio said that Gen Pervez Musharraf had directed to ensure supply of water to the tail-end growers of Sindh.

Sindh irrigation secretary Mir Mohammad Parhiar assured the growers that legal action would be taken in 48 hours against the negligent officers.

He said that executive engineers and SDOs will be held responsible if water was not supplied to the tail-end growers.

During the open kutchery, Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, Mir Haji Hayat Talpur and others demanded to extend the Jamrao Canal up to Dhadri.

Speaking at another open kutchery in Mirpurkhas, Ali Mir Shah said that a team of experts had been appointed to ensure appropriate utilization of Rs10 billion allocated by Gen Pervez Musharraf for improving the irrigation system and supply of water to the tail-end growers of Sindh.

He said that the shortage of water was due to natural causes but due to wrong distribution of the available water, the tail-enders were affected mostly.

Mr Chanhio said that banks of the distributaries and watercourses will be made pucca and illegal lift machines installed on the canals will be removed.

Former MNA Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, Mirpurkhas Taluka Nazim Syed Inayat Ali Shah and the growers demanded to complete the Makhi Farash canal project, activate the SIDA, stop water theft, suspend recovery of water tax (Abiana ), other agricultural taxes and ADBP loans from the growers and eliminate corruption and inefficiency among the irrigation officials.