BADIN: Members of farmers’ organisations, peasants, and general public observed a shutdown strike and took out rallies in Khoski, Pangrio and Tando Bago towns of the district on Sunday in protest against acute water shortage and violation of canal rotation programme.

The protesters accused Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) chairman and director and local leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party of directing share of water for their areas to their farmlands.

All shops and business centres remained shuttered in Khoski where a sizable number of villagers arrived from nearby areas to join the farmers’ protest.

They staged sit-in on Thar Coal road after marching through the town’s thoroughfares early in the morning and continued till late in the night.

The protesters’ leaders Abdullah Sindhi, Tariq Ghumman, Akhtar Jatt and others said that they would continue the protest till the irrigation officials released water into their outlets.

They said that as per announcement by the officials concerned they were to be supplied their share of water on June 1 but when water arrived at last its flow was diverted to the farmlands of influential persons.

They said the district was already facing agricultural disaster because of acute shortage of water while irregularities and unfair distribution of water under the very nose of chairman of Sida had further deepened the crisis.

They said that influential landlords were violating with the help of the irrigation officials the rotation plan announced by the department due to shortage of water, bringing cultivation process in their areas to a halt.

They alleged that as per rotation plan, water was to be released into the channels of Shadi Large subdivision by June 2 but the irrigation authorities and Sida diverted their share to Golarchi canals, the area of Sida chairman.

In Tando Bago, enraged protesters took out a rally and held a demonstration on Tando Bago-Jhudo road for two hours to express anger against the irrigation department and Sida officials.

The protesters’ leaders Haji Panah Mallah, Pir Abid Ali Rashdi, Saleem Samoon and others told journalists that the water meant for their areas was being stolen by the irrigation department officials on the directives of Sida chairman Mohammad Nawaz Chandio and director Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur.

They alleged that PPP leaders including Mr Chandio were directly involved in stealing water from the waterways of Shadi sub-division. The nagging water crisis had turned their land barren and dealt a blow to local economy, forcing people to migrate to other areas in search of water, they said.

They accused irrigation officials of selling their share of water to big landowners and directing water of Shadi subdivision to Golarchi, the area of Sida chairman, at the expense of their farmland.

A complete strike was observed in Pangrio town where shops remained shuttered for half a day in protest against acute shortage of water in all canals of Shadi subdivision.

The leaders of Shahri Ittahad Pangrio and growers led by Ismail Mirani, Akbar Makhdoom and others marched on the town’s roads and observed a sit-in outside the Pangrio Press Club.

They condemned the irrigation officials for allegedly shifting water of Shadi subdivision to Golarchi and demanded immediate supply of water. An impartial enquiry be launched into irregularities by irrigation officials, they said.

They alleged that water of their share was being stolen by local PPP leaders in connivance with irrigation officials and demanded immediate removal of corrupt officials.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2018