HYDERABAD, July 21: The farmers of Khairpur Gamboh sub-division of Naseer Canal on Monday threatened to besiege the offices of senior officials of Irrigation Department if water was not released immediately into the channels of their area.

Tando Jan Mohammad union council nazim Mir Zafarullah Talpur, former nazim of Digri taluka Kazi Fazlullah and others said at a news conference at the press club that water had not been released for past six months into the 16 water channels of Khairpur Gamboh, the largest sub-division of Rohri Canal, which irrigated more than 400,000 acres of land.

In spite of the fact that Naseer Canal, which was flowing at 2,500 cusec more than its maximum capacity of 1800 cusec the tail-enders were not getting any water, they complained.

They said that under the irrigation law, only 27 per cent of land was to be cultivated on Naseer Canal but 100 per cent land was being cultivated by big landlords who had sown banana, sugarcane and rice crops on their land, which were completely banned.

They complained that Tando Allahyar and Chang sub-division waterways were being supplied 400 per cent more water but the growers of Khairpur Gamboh were not supplied water even for drinking.

They said that the department had never applied rotation schedule for the lands of big landlords and accused SDOs and XENs of selling water through direct watercourses at the rate of Rs300,000 to Rs500,000.

There was complete mismanagement on Naseer Canal where the officials always enforced rotation programme for tail-end waterways of Basran-II, Jarkas, Khoski, Sangi and Chango minors, they said.

Naseer Canal is supposed to be the most efficient canal, which has water even during acute shortage of water but due to corruption and inefficiency of irrigation officials the tail-end growers are always deprived of water, the growers said.

They said that earthwork, remodelling and revamping had been carried out on 30 miles stretch of Naseer main to ensure water supply to the tail-end growers at a cost of tens of millions of rupees but it had not benefited them as the water got stolen on its way.

They said that like every year, this year also, tens of millions of rupees were spent on desilting of Naseer Canal yet the tail-end growers had not gained any benefit due to injudicious distribution of water.

They demanded closure of all the channels at their head for 15 days and provision of water to their tail-end where the underground water was brackish.

They said that the step would save tail-end growers as well as their cattle heads from total economic destruction. Political interference in the irrigation department should be stopped forthwith and honest and conscientious officers should be appointed at key posts for at least three years, they demanded.

Earlier, the protesting growers staged a demonstration outside the press club.

MASSU SUB-DIVISION: The growers of Massu sub-division of Hyderabad taluka under the banner of Abadgars Action Committee held a demonstration outside the press club on Monday in protest against acute shortage of irrigation water and water rotation programme.