THATTA, June 19: Several growers, who were protesting against the water shortage and water theft, were injured when the Sujawal police resorted to aerial firing and lathi charge to disperse them on Wednesday.

The protesters had arrived in dozens of vehicles from the coastal towns of Chuch Jehan Khan, Chuhar Jamali, and Laadion to lodge their protest with the irrigation officials at the sub-divisional headquarters, Sujawal town, regarding the artificial shortage of irrigation water in their tributaries since the last several months.

They were led by a tribal chieftain, Mohammed Ali Malkani.

They blocked the Sujawal-Karachi highway by staging a sit-in and parking their vehicles .

The DSP, Sujawal, Arif Aziz Jafri, and the SHO, Sadiq Solangi, arrived at the site with a heavy police contingent and asked the demonstrators to remove their vehicles from the highway.

On hearing this, the protesters turned unruly and started pelting stones on other vehicles damaging many of them. The mob also overpowered the DSP who managed to escape with the help of a constable. A stone hit one of the guards of the DSP, Nazir Ahmed.

Police then resorted to aerial firing resulting in a grower, Ibrahim Jatoi, being hit in the forehead. Several other growers were also injured when the police attacked them with lathis.

Soon, the DPO, Thatta, Shahid Hayat, also arrived there. He talked with the leaders of the growers and convinced them to end the protest.

Mr Malkani told newsmen that water was being sold to the influential people by the irrigation officials which had led to the protest.