KHAIRPUR, July 2: A complete strike was observed here on Monday to express solidarity with the Sindh Hari Committee which has launched a campaign to release water to growers of 22 tail-end channels.

The strike call was given by Pakistan Sunni Tehrik, Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz, PPP-SB and United Labour Organisation in support of committee leader Ghulam Rasool Sehto, who had been observing hunger strike since May 27 at Phool Bagh.

He had been demanding water to tail-enders and making a large number of SCARP tube-wells operational lying idle for last many years.

Later, a procession was taken out from Luqman.

Its participants marched on different roads and demonstrated at Panj Hatti.

Addressing the participants, Waheed-ur-Rehman of ST, Ali Sher Sehto of SUP and others said ail-enders of these channels had been suffering because of shortage of water. Thousands of acres of agricultural land, they added, have turned barren due to the prevailing conditions.

They pledged to continue their struggle till water is released to tail-enders of these channels.

Our Mirpurkhas Correspondent adds: Growers have cut down area under cotton crop this year as compared to previous years because of a nagging shortage of water in the district.

The district was the second largest producer of cotton in the country in 2010. It lost the position last year when most of its cotton crop was destroyed by heavy rains and this year discouraged growers sowed the crop on very small area.

In 2010, cotton was sown on 38,000 hectares in the district and 4.141 million maunds was produced, according to agriculture department.

In 2011, emboldened by good harvest growers sowed cotton on 40,200 hectares but heavy rains destroyed most of the crop, enabling them harvest only 1.786 million maunds.

This year, discouraged by a nagging water shortage reluctant growers cultivated the crop only on 32,640 hectares.

Khalid Pervez Arain, a grower of Jhuddo taluka, said that he used to sow cotton on 50 acres but he had cultivated it only on 10 acres this year because of water shortage and losses sustained during last year’s floods.

He said that Jhuddo taluka was at the tail-end of a canal and had been facing acute water shortage for past two months, causing damage to cotton and other crops.

Mohammad Moosa Mahar, a grower of 78-Mori in Mirpurkhas taluka, said that he used to cultivate cotton on 400 acres but had sown it on only 60 acres this year.