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THATTA, April 27: Lack of maintenance and non-release of water in Bannu Minor canal for the last six years has brought hundreds of abadgars within its command area on the brink of starvation.
This was stated by the president of Bannu Minor Action Committee, Abdul Hayee Palijo, through a press release issued here on Tuesday. He said the minor irrigation channel, an offshoot of the Qadir Dino Shah irrigation regulator system, runs for some 17 kilometres, and irrigates over 26,000 acres of fertile silty land on the left bank of the River Indus and had never been desilted or maintained since it was built in the year 1988.
Despite its non-maintenance - including weed removal, non-excavation, desilting and filth removal -- water flowed for a decade and the area proved to be a major partner in producing rice, wheat, sugarcane, pulses and vegetables.
Some six years back, the irrigation authorities suddenly stopped releasing water into this channel saying there was a water shortage upstream, and the minor has not been maintained since that time. Since then, the signatory said, hundreds of dependents were shuttling from pillar to post, but to no avail.
RAID: Thatta police raided a place in Pathan Colony and recovered machinery stolen from Thatta Sugar Mills worth over Rs15 million and arrested five persons, including two police constables, here late on Monday.
Police also seized a truck (MNC-7659) loaded with the stolen machinery which was to be transported to Lahore, as well as two motorcycles used in the crime. TPO Khuda Bux Shaikh said that during the initial interrogation the accused disclosed the involvement of highly influential people in the offence.
The arrested persons are constables, Abdul Malik Brohi and Wazir Panhwar while the names of the remaining three were Allah Wasayo Gandhro, Muhammad Rafique Chohan, and Chamanlal Harichand. The sugar mill has been closed for many years.
SIT-IN: Traffic on the Badin-Thatta highway was suspended for over two hours as enraged citizens of Sujawal Town staged a sit-in on the highway, to protest against the constant power failure for the last one month.
Raising slogans against Hesco sub-divisional authorities the protesters earlier marched through the town streets and converged on the highway, where they burnt tyres and effigies of Hesco officials and observed the sit-in protest.
SALARY: Over 200 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) working at different taluka hospitals of district have not received their salaries since last two months and are facing financial difficulties, Dawn learnt here on Tuesday.
The employees said the district health office was not responding their requests and have appealed to the provincial minister and health secretary to redress their grievances.
