FAISALABAD, Sept 11: Hundreds of villagers demonstrated in front of the offices of Wasa chief and the district police officer on Thursday to express their resentment against the decision to install tubewells along the Jhang Branch canal for supplying potable water to the urban population.
Led by MPA Jehanzeb Imtiaz Gill, the protesters flocked outside the offices, chanting slogans against the government functionaries, especially Wasa officials. They had held banners and placards inscribed with their demand of withdrawing the decision.
The protesters, who hailed from chaks 1, 2, 26, 27, 28, 46, 49 50, 53, 54 JB, Mansooran and Pomipur, reached the spot on tractor-trolleys and buses. They staged a sit-in against Wasa officials and demanded the government that it should withdraw the decision to install tubewells along the proposed site.
Meanwhile, a delegation headed by an area MPA talked to Wasa managing-director and apprised him of their concerns and fears associated with installation of tubewells in the area. They said the water level (in the area) had already gone underground, and it would further go down after the tubewells’ installation.
They apprehended that installation of high-powered tubewells might divest their land of its fertility.
The delegation asked Wasa chief to provide them with the copies of reports, which claimed that there would be no effect on land or water level after the installation of tubewells. However, the agency chief refused to provide the reports, and reported to have exchanged harsh words with the delegation.
Condemning Wasa chief’s apathy, they returned to road and presented a memorandum to the SP (headquarters). They averred that they would resist the Wasa’s move with full might.
When contacted, Wasa chief said, the project had been launched with a huge foreign aid and it would be completed come what may.
MEDICS’ PROTEST: The students of the Punjab Medical College continued boycott of MBBS examination, and demonstrated at the Clock Tower intersection, on Thursday.
The students ventilated their anger by raising slogans against the government, and vowed to continue their struggle till the withdrawal of the decision to affiliate the PMC with the University of Health Sciences.
In the latest protest, the medics blocked traffic on the Jail Road and Sargodha Road by erecting barricades. They staged a sit-in outside the Allied Hospital and threatened that they would close the hospital gates for patients.
At the Clock Tower, the student leaders demanded the government that it should direct the Punjab University administration to take back the PMC under its control.
The students said they would start the second phase of the protest in a couple of days.