THATTA, June 21: Hundreds of farmers from different areas reached the district nazim office here on Monday to lodge protest against unscheduled suspension of water supply to their newly sown rice crop.

The protesters, most of them holding sickles and raising slogans against the irrigation authorities, came in motorcades from Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro, Mirpur Sakro, Keti Bunder, Ghorabari and Kharo Chan talukas.

They held a detailed discussion with District Nazim Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi who assured them of the solution of their problem. Keeping the prevailing water shortage in view, the farmers stressed the need for making water rotation schedule a judicious one.

The farmers also complained of forcible recovery of farm taxes while they faced financial hardships and water crises. When contacted, Superintending Engineer, Pinyari circle, Jan Mohammad Soomro, and Superintending Engineer, Baghar circle, Rafiq Ali Memon, said that they were evolving a strategy to minimize area-wise rotation period.

Referring to the root cause of crises, the officials said that water level upstream Kotri Barrage was 17,436 cusecs on Monday and the pond level 64.4 feet as against the required maximum level of 67 feet. However, they said that the situation was expected to normalize within next five to six days when the pond level at the Kotri Barrage would shoot up by two feet and touch the 67 feet mark.