RAHIM YAR KHAN: A 70-foot breach occurred in Degi Minor Canal near Basti Qaiser Chohan, some 28km from Rahim Yar Khan, late on Saturday.

Reports said that the felling of trees in recent days weakened the banks of the canal. Initially, the breach was 40 feet but it widened to 70 feet due to the strong current.

Locals said they alerted the irrigation department staff but they did not arrive till morning. Water inundated three nearby villages and damaged dozens of acres of sugarcane, cotton and mango orchards.

The neighbouring people started to plug the breach on a self-help basis. On Sunday, irrigation department officials suspended the water supply to the canal from the headworks near Rajanpur.

The breach also affected the banks of Khan minor and Makhan minor canals.

PROTEST: Dozens of Hindu Bheel community activists protested at Jahaz Chowk on Manthar Road in Sadiqabad on Sunday against the author of a book, which, according to them, has declared the Bheel community a lower-level clan that eats prohibited food.

The Bheel community gathered in the city holding placards against the writer, who is also a lawyer and demanded the cancellation of his bar license.

The protesters said the writer belongs to the Mainghwar community and degraded the Bheel community of Pakistan in his book. They said that the Bheels were a peaceful community and against any discrimination.

They demanded a ban on the controversial book and strict action against the publisher and the writer otherwise thousands of the Bheel community in Punjab and Sindh will continue their protest.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2022