DADU, Nov 4: Pest has damaged standing cotton crop spreading over thousands of acres of land in Sehwan, Dadu and Johi talukas and pesticides sprayed on the crop have proved to be ineffective.

The cotton farmers told this correspondent that the pesticide dealers were selling fake and ineffective pesticide in the district.

Karo Mahlo and Sandaphos pest have attacked cotton crop and damaged the produce in Bubak, Arazi, Talti, Weehar, Kot Lashari, Phulji, Khudabad, Hatim Jatoi, Moundar, Jhaloo, Aminiani, Mukhtiar Nagar, Yar Mohammad Kalhoro, Makhdoom Bilawal and other areas of Sehwan, Dadu and Johi talukas.

According to a grower of Hatim Jatoi village, Shafiq Ahmed, when pest attacked his cotton crop, he informed the agriculture EDO and asked him to send field staff for providing help to control the disease but the EDO did not take any action.

Abdul Salam, another grower from Talti, said that after pest attack, the area growers used a pesticide which proved ineffective as it was spurious.

He complained that the officials of the agriculture department had not visited affected area.

Yet another farmer of Moundar, Luqman Khushk, said that the agriculture officials were informed in time about the pest attack but they failed to take any step to control the disease.

He appealed to the higher authorities of the Sindh agriculture department to send experts’ teams to Dadu district so that the cotton crop could be saved from further damage.

DEMO: A large number of people and activists held a demonstration in Sehwan on Tuesday to protest against drug, gambling and prostitution dens running in the town under the patronage of the local SHO.

The protesters were carrying banners and raising slogans against SHO Javed Ahmed Lakhair.

Talking to journalists, they said that drug, gambling and prostitution dens were running in different localities of the town and the SHO was receiving monthly bribe from every den.

As a result, the protesters said, the number of drug users was rising in the town.

They said that the town residents and social workers had sent complaints to the governor, chief minister and IGP of Sindh but to no avail.

KIDNAPPED: Four persons kidnapped a girl, Rushna, 23, from her house in Mehar on Tuesday.

The kidnappers barged into the house of Lutfullah Khoso in Bhutto Mohalla, held his family hostage in a room at gunpoint and kidnapped his daughter.

The Mehar police on the complaint of Mr Khoso have registered a case against Mohammad Mooso, Mashooq, Zahid and Qurban Khoso.