HYDERABAD: Alarmed by the heavy losses feared to be incurred by each and every grower whose land is fed through the irrigation channels offtaking from the main Rohri canal, various growers’ organisations and other stakeholders, as well as the Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB), Sindh Abadgar Board and Sindh United Party, on Sunday organised rallies and demonstrations in different parts of Sindh against the provincial government for failing to get the Phull fall regulator repaired so as to avoid the situation.

The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA), held a meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday to take stock of the situation and expressed its grave concern over the continued closure of the canal since the damage to the regulator was noticed.

The meeting was chaired by SCA president Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar.

It apprehended that the closure would cause a loss of crops on 2.9 million acres. “The closure is largely due to incompetence of the irrigation department which did not check the regulator’s maintenance during the annual canal closure in January,” it observed.

The organisation called for exposing the negligent officers bringing them to justice. It noted that the Rohri Canal closure could cause a collective loss of Rs900 billion to growers.

It urged Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to take stern action against the irrigation officers found responsible for the colossal loss.

The meeting was attended by Nabi Bux Sathio, Zahid Hussain Bhurgari, Syed Aijaz Nabi Shah, Mohammad Khan Sarejo and others.

The PPP-SB organised rallies and demonstrations in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Nawabshah, Naushahro Feroze, Dadu, Badin, Khairpur, Ghotki and several other districts on Sunday to demand immediate repair of the regulator and release of water into Rohri canal to save growers from heavy losses.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the Sindh government and irrigation department, the protesters marched through the streets of various cities and towns. Hundreds of farmers, growers and tillers, as well as activists of nationalist groups, took part in the protests.

They alleged that the regulator sustained damage due to criminal negligence of the officials concerned and indifferent attitude towards the problem by the irrigation minister and secretary.

They warned of a massive movement to be launched if immediate attention was not paid to the problem and the officials responsible for negligence were not punished.

In Malkani Sharif town of Badin district, several hundred growers whose lands are fed through the irrigation channels linked with the Khairpur Gumboh subdivision continued their days-long protest over unavailability of water.

Led by leaders of the Sindh Abadgar Tanzeem and various associations of traders, they announced an indefinite closure of businesses in the town from Monday.

Pir Fayyaz Hussein Rashdi, Malik Tariq Mehmood Arain, Haji Ali Bux Malkani and others told journalists that they along with affected growers would hold a march up to the damaged regulator to register their anger and indignation.

They said the CM himself should encamp himself at the regulator to supervise the repair work at the site and ensure immediate completion of the work as it was an issue that could lead to a big crisis.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2016