Daily Times

DADU: The Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto) PPP(SB) and small farmers held and rally and a march in Dadu city, on Friday.

According to the participants of PPP(SB) and small farmers, protests were held against the Irrigation officials, who allegedly self-created water shortage and sold water to influential landlords and political bigwigs of the area at Rice canal, Dadu canal and Johi branch.

PPP(SB) organized a protest rally in Dadu town. The rally was led by Comrade Ali Mohammad Jamali president PPP(SB) district Dadu and Shabbir Tiger. Speaking to the demonstrators, Comrade Ali Mohammad Jamali said that this is an artificially created shortage of water in Sindh and this shortage is resulting in the damage of their crops and vegetables. The rally started from office of President PPP(SB) district Dadu and staged a demonstration in front of Dadu press club. On the other hand small farmers and peasants organized a protest march in Dadu city. The participants talked about the unfair distribution of water from the irrigation officials in Johi, KN-Shah , Mehar talukas of Dadu district. The protest march started from district office of the Sindh Peoples Hari Committee Dadu staged a demonstration at Dadu press club

Speaking to the protest march, the leaders of farmers and small growers said that at least 1000 watercourses were tempered at Rice Canal and 300 water courses were tempered at Dadu canal in Dadu taluka and another100 water courses were tempered at Johi canal. Protestors said that the influential landlords of the area with the help of irrigation officials are responsible for this obstruction of water.

They further said that growers of Sugarcane were facing huge hardships of water shortage at Piaro Shakh, Kahriri Shakh in taluka Dadu. And this water shortage would be extremely detrimental for the overall sugarcane crop, standing over the total area of 1500 acres. This could result in decreasing half of the overall production. The protestors appealed to Chief Justice of SC-Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nissar, to take action against this artificial shortage of water in Dadu district.

Published in Daily Times, August 11^th 2018.