May 07, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, May 6: Farmers staged protest demonstrations, manhandled irrigation department staff and blocked main roads in four towns of the district on Tuesday in protest against water shortage.

Hundreds of farmers, whose land is irrigated through Dilary distributary, staged a protest outside the office of irrigation department in Kot Ghulam Mohammad.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards and were demanding water in the canal.

Some angry protesters forcibly entered irrigation office and manhandled three staff members, Nasrullah, Javed Khoso and Ghulam Nabi, while the other staff fled from the office.

The protesters complained that there was no water in Dilary Distributary since past four months as a result of which even drinking water was not available in the area.

They demanded proper supply of water in their area without further delay.

In Jhuddo town, hundreds of growers, whose land is irrigated through Buggi Minor, Silor and Aakal distributaries, staged a demonstration and blocked the Jhuddo-Naukot road.

The local leaders of Pakistan People’s Party and Awami Tehrik and Shehri Ittehad activists backed the growers in their protest.

People burnt tyres and raised slogans against the overseer of Kot Ghulam Mohammad subdivision.

They deplored that the overseer was holding the charge of SDO irrigation Kot Ghulam Mohammad since last four years and had enjoyed support of former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

They claimed that the officer and the SDO of Naukot were involved in corruption and growers had suffered huge losses because of water theft.

They said that their waterways were drying up since last six months as these distributaries were at tail-end of the Nara canal.

They demanded action against the local irrigation authorities who were responsible for the water crisis in their area.

PPP MPA Mir Haji Hayat Talpur and police reached at the spot and held negotiations with the protesters.

Reports said that authorities on the recommendation of MPA Mir Haji Hayat Talpur suspended the overseer, Aslam Kaimkhani.

Later, the protesters on assurances of water supply in their area ended their protest.Protest demonstrations were also held in Sindhri and Mirwah Gorchani towns against water shortage.

CAR STOLEN: Thieves stole a car parked near Bukhari town at Ring road in limits of Satellite town police station on Monday night.

Alam Leghari had parked the car outside his house from where it was stolen.