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DADU, July 8: A large number of people, including activists of various political parties and non-government organizations, took out a procession here on Thursday to protest against failure of drainage, sanitation and water supply systems in the town.
Led by Mehran Development Welfare Association district president Maula Bux Mastoi, JSSF district president Rajab Ali Shahani and social workers Wafa Brihmani and Saeed Ahmed Memon, the protesters reached the local press club where they held a protest demonstration, suspending traffic for two hours.
Speaking to the protesters, including Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Jeay Sindh Students Federation, People's Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan People's Party (Shaheed Bhutto), Sindh National Front and Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party activists, Mr Mastoi said that due to the apathy of the Dadu TMA, sanitation and water supply networks had collapsed completely.
Sewage was overflowing in the town since the past few days, causing different fatal diseases among the residents, he added. Mr Memon said that the residents paid their taxes regularly, yet the TMA had failed to provide basic facilities to them.
He warned that if the sanitation and water supply problems were not resolved, they would continue the protest. Later, the protesters also observed a token hunger strike.
KIDNAPPED: A teenage girl, Amina, 18, was kidnapped by four unidentified armed men from the Kakar town on Thursday. Four unidentified armed men barged into the house of Mohammad Ramazan Abro and holding family members hostage at gunpoint, looted cash and gold ornaments. They also kidnapped Ramazan's daughter, Amina, and escaped.
WATER SHORTAGE: Agriculturalists of Dadu district have expressed apprehensions that due to artificial shortage of water in Dadu and Rice canals, about 300,000 acres of land would not be cultivated during the current paddy season.
This observation were made by speakers at a two-day seminar on the topic "Shortage of Water and Losses to Growers" organised by PPP Mehar. Former MPA, Qazi Shafique Ahmed Mahessar speaking at the seminar said that the irrigation officials of Rice and Dadu canals were selling water to influential landlords and were not supplying due share of water to small abadgars.
He alleged that Punjab was stealing from Sindh's share, on the other hand, irrigation officials of Sindh were not distributing water judiciously. Speaking on the occasion, former MPA Munawar Butt said that due to shortage of the water in the province, agricultural lands would be rendered barren hence the provincial government should realize the urgency and take immediate measure to get complete share of water for the province.
Member PPP Sindh council, Dr Talat Hussain Mahessar alleged that irrigation officials were responsible for artificial shortage of water in the district. He demanded registration of cases against irrigation officials who were responsible for creating the artificial shortage of water. Among others who also spoke at the seminar were Mir Muhammad Duryani and Ghulam Nabi Manganhar.
