Daily Times

Poor growers and peasants of various villages of Larkana district held a protest demonstration in the corridor of Irrigation Department Complex on Monday against acute water shortage.

They shouted slogans of “Pani Nahay Cho Bhala–Karbala Karbala.”

The protesters belonged to Villages Nangar Sangi, Mehar Brohi, Jumo Langah, Jumo Jogi and others. Peasants from Mirwah Shakh and Naundero Shakh, including Mukhtiar Lashari, Muhammad Ali Brohi, Mushtaque Langah, Ali Sher Brohi, Fatah Lashari, Ramzan Brohi, complained that they had planted paddy saplings in their lands but due to unavailability of irrigation water, their seeds were drying and burning. They said that they had complained to the engineers of the irrigation department several times against releasing water into the respective irrigation drains but they were being denied water so far.

The engineers were selling water to influential landlords, due to which thousands of acres of lands were even empty today despite the peak of the paddy-sowing season.

They said if water was not released quickly, their lands would become barren. They alleged that irrigation engineers were involved in selling peasants’ water after getting illegal gratifications from big landowners. They said the worst affected were the tillers whose lands were situated at tail ends. They said even today when they had come to Larkana to register a complaint against acute water shortage, no officer was available in his office. This was indeed against the declared policy of the ruling party who constantly claimed that its government was farmer-friendly. They appealed to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Irrigation Minister to take notice of the issue and save their lands from becoming dry and barren.