MUZAFFARGARH, Nov 17 Farmers and mango growers on Tuesday protested against the Sui-Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for destroying fruit orchards in Khangarh to lay a supply line to Alipur and Jatoi areas.

The prime minister has approved the Rs3 billion project on the recommendation of federal minister for defence production, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, who belongs to Jatoi but contests elections from Alipur.

The protesters said the workers of SNGPL contractor were chopping precious trees excessively and without giving them any compensation. They said that they had also moved a civil court in Muzaffargarh to obtain a stay order.

They demanded that the route of the gas pipeline be changed forthwith or they be given adequate compensation because, according to their estimate, each mango tree was worth Rs12000 in terms of timber and Rs10,000 in terms of annual yield.

Allah Ditta, a farmer, said that supplying gas to the masses was a good project but it was tarnishing the image of the government owing to large-scale destruction of mango orchards on the supply route.

He said that the pipeline could be laid along any drain or canal to save precious trees. According to locals, a drain runs from Khangarh to Alipur and Jatoi areas.

The demonstrators urged the government to adopt legal course to acquire land and then lay pipeline.

The contractor was not available on the spot. However, his workers told Dawn that farmers' demands would be conveyed to the contractor and the department.

Khangarh has earned acclamation for producing high quality mangoes. The mango orchards of the late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan are famous throughout the subcontinent.

A farmers' representative, Liaqat Ali Malik, said that they would go up to the high court to get the project halted and compel the department to adopt any other suitable route.

An SNGPL official said that there would be no change in the pipeline route because the feasibility report and the project estimate had been worked out on the basis of mapping and survey of the area. However, he said, SNGPL high-ups could be recommended to compensate the farmers.