BADIN, Feb 1: The irrigation employees closed the canals throughout Badin district on Saturday.

They were demanding registration of a counter case of the Friday’s quarrel between the irrigation staff and a union council Nazim over construction of a bridge over Kamaro Shakh.

The irrigation employees also took out rallies in some towns of the district.

On the other hand, the Nazimeen and councillors also staged a rally here against the irrigation officials.

The councillors of the UC-III, led by Azhar Qazi, at a press conference demanded that charges should be framed against the irrigation officials and the weapon, used in injuring a Nazim’s guard, should be recovered.

A gunman of the UC-III Nazim and District Public Safety Commission chief, Dr Aziz Memon, received a bullet in his leg on Friday after exchange of hot words between the Nazim and the assistant engineer, irrigation, Kazi Mohammad Rafiq, over the construction of a bridge over Kamaro Shakh.

The bridge is to be constructed through sugarcane cess fund and the highways department had sent a letter to the irrigation office, Badin, to issue NOC for the construction.

However, the irrigation officials of Kazi sub-division delayed the NOC on the pretext of water rotation programme.

According to the irrigation officials, water supply to Kamaro Shakh was to be restored during the first week of Feb.

Therefore, an irrigation team, led by Mr Rafiq, went to the spot reportedly for “clearing” the waterway, on which the construction work of the bridge had been started.

To facilitate the bridge construction, water flow of the waterway had been diverted without consent of the irrigation officials.

When the irrigation team tried to destroy the construction work, it was prevented by the Nazim and his companions.

This led to a scuffle between the two parties, causing bullet injuries to Sarang Chandio, guard of the Nazim.

Chandio was rushed to the Badin Civil Hospital.

The Badin police registered an FIR against the irrigation assistant engineer, sub-engineer Shahbuddin and 10 unidentified men and arrested the irrigation officials.

However, some former legislators and government officials are trying to settle the dispute between the two parties.