LARKANA, July 4: Hundreds of farmers, elected representatives and political activists blocked the Indus Highway in Wagan town for one hour on Tuesday in protest against shortage of water in Rice Canal and Warah Barrage.

MPA Najamuddain Abro of the People’s Party, Sartaj Chandio of the Awami Tahreek and Maulvi Mohammed Siddik led protestors who were onboard tractors.

Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, general secretary of the Sindh Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, joined the protest and called for early release of water in Rice Canal and Warah Barrage.

Speaking on the occasion, leaders criticized Superintendent Engineer Atta Mohammed Soomro for water shortage. Water rotation in this peak paddy-sowing season was illogical, as it was devastating the rice crop in early stage.

They said that a vast area situated at the tail of Rice Canal and Warah was without water.

They said 70 per cent seedlings of paddy crop had died due to non-availability of water.

Executive Engineer Mohammed Nawaz arrived at the site of protest and assured protestors that within 20 hours, water situation would become stable and rotation would end.

Five faint: Five persons, including two PTCL workers, fainted here and in Qambar on Tuesday when temperature touched 46 degree Centigrade and percentage of humidity increased.

Met office sources said on Tuesday it was the first time that humidity had increased to 22 per cent in the two districts. Normally it ranged between 5-6 per cent, they said.

Two PTCL employees, Ayaz Chachar and Abdul Hameed Bhutto, fell unconscious when they were busy removing faults under the scorching sun.

The other three were employees of the district nazim office of Qambar-Shahdadkot identified as Ghulam Mustafa Deenari, Moharram Shaikh and Noor Ahmed Jatak.

They were admitted to the taluka hospital, Qambar.