Daily Times

Hundreds of growers on Monday staged a hunger strike in front of the Dadu press club in protest against the Irrigation Department officials over lack of water flow to many arteries of irrigation canal, particularly Pir Gunio, Khudabad, Phaka and Johi waterways.

Reportedly, protesters were holding dried sugarcane while chanting slogans against the officials and held them responsible for the artificial shortage of irrigation and drinking water at the tail-end areas by selling water to influential growers at heads of the waterways.

They further alleged that the officials had fixed amount for a watercourse to provide water.

In his talk to the media, a grower Khan Muhammad said that thousands of growers were waiting for the release of water to sow wheat and cotton crops at the tail-end of Pir Gunio waterway.

He revealed that sugarcane crop sowed on hundreds of acres was dried up, causing massive loss to growers in terms of finances.

He said that local officials of the department had visited office of Dadu Division Irrigation Department Executive Engineer, but he was found to be absent from his office on a frequent basis.

Another grower, Muhammad Laiq told the media that inhabitants of many villages were even facing an acute shortage of potable water.

Meanwhile, they appealed to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take notice of the matter and order concerned officials of the department to ensure provision of water in the affected areas.

They further appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal to initiate probe into alleged irregularities and corruption in the Irrigation Department and halt water theft in an effective manner.

Published in Daily Times, September 18^th 2018.