LARKANA, June 14: Hundreds of growers on Monday staged a rally in Qubo Saeed Khan town against an acute shortage of irrigation water in the command area of Saifullah Magsi branch.

Sindh Abadgar Board Shahdadkot taluka president Mir Ishaque Mugheri, union council Qubo Saeed Khan nazim Khalid Umar Khoso and others led the rally. The protestors chanted slogans against the failure of Sindh government in releasing required amount of irrigation water in time.

They also carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the irrigation officials. The growers marched on the roads and staged a sit-in at Patojo Shakh. They also burnt tyres and blocked the road.

They said that at present there was no water in Dhori Shakh, Patojo Shakh, Qubo Shakh, Shahbaig Shakh and other water channels off-taking from the Saifullah Magsi branch.

They said that around 200,000 acres land was cultivated in the command area of Saifullah Magsi branch. They said that the paddy nurseries prepared by growers on tube wells for transplantation were drying up due to the non- availability of water.

They feared the delay could ruin agriculture and its related industry and so the population connected with it. Farmers in Nasirabad town also staged a protest demonstration against the shortage of water in watercourses.