VEHARI, July 24: The growers from different villages strongly protested against acute shortage of irrigation water here on Saturday.

Their representatives Jawad Masood Ghuman, Rai Nawaz Kharal, Habib Ahmad, Haji Yaqoob and Sardar Chaudhry told newsmen that their crops were drying up due to the shortage of water which they attributed to negligence and mismanagement by the irrigation officials.

They said canals 3-R, 1-R, 3-L and 2-R were without water for the last one month. The growers had spent a huge amount on their crops, but due to water shortage they were damaged.

They alleged that irrigation officials were selling water to the influential landlords of the area.

They complained that the staff concerned of the Thingi west bar irrigation department always remained out of their offices whenever they contacted them.

They said water level in canals should have been six feet but it was only one and a half foot. Due to the shortage of water, over 80,000 acres agricultural land and crops were affected including over two dozen villages.

According to them the underground water was not fit for irrigation.

The Thingi west bar XEN was not available in his office for his comments.