SUKKUR, Dec 24: Continuous flow of water, carrying industrial waste, from Punjab to Sindh near Daharki has put the population at risk against which farmers and activists of political parties held a demonstration and a sit-in outside the DCO Ghotki office in Mirpur Mathelo on Wednesday.
Activists of Sindh National Front, Mazdoor Ittehad, Sindh Porihat Ittehad and Shehri Ittehad gathered under the aegis of Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party to register their protest against the Sindh government for failing to contain the flow of contaminated water from Punjab.
They contended that the flow, since last 20 years, have had turned saline and barren hundreds of acres of farm land near Khenjo of Daharki area from Sadiqabad.
Jam Fatah Samejo, Comrade Mandhal Shar, Zahid Mirani, Abdul Haq Khatian and Shabbir Shar talking to journalists said that this had also turned the underground water arsenic, playing havoc with the lives of human and wildlife, both.
Increasing incidences of skin and stomach ailments had forced thousands of villagers from Daharki and Mirpur Mathelo to migrate to other places with hundreds of cattle heads perishing because of it, they said.
Sindh and Punjab governments were doing nothing in this regard despite protests by farmers and villagers, they added.
They announced that a protest demonstration and a sit-in would be held outside Sukkur Press Club on Jan 14 and if by that time, the two governments remained aloof of the situation, they along with district farmers would stop the flow and the responsibility would lie on the two provincial governments, they warned.
BANDIT SURRENDERS: A bandit Muneer alias Mumtaz Jagirani who was allegedly involved in kidnapping Dr Vijay Kumar on Sept 21 surrendered to police on Wednesday, according to DPO Sharjeel Kharal.
Mr Kharal said that he ordered police to arrest the bandit after receiving a tip-off that he was hiding in Sukkur. The bandit succumbed to pressure mounted by police and surrendered, he claimed.
He said that Muneer was behind the kidnapping of Dr Vijay Kumar who was seized from New Goth on Sept 21. Police had raided some places and had arrested two close aides of Muneer identified as Mushtaq Mirani and Ilmuddin Jagirani and recovered Dr Vijay Kumar.
But Muneer and his accomplices had escaped arrest then, he said.