LARKANA, Feb 18: The wheat crop cultivated on thousands of acres of land in Warah sub-division is likely to be devastated in the wake of persistent shortage of irrigation water.

The beds of Naseer Shakh, Naseer distributary, Hamid minor, Nawab Shakh, Tunia minor, Kanwar Shakh and other small irrigation channels are without water for a long time. The wheat crop requires four spells of water till it is harvested.

The Dehs that are affected include Gul Buriro, Hamid, Nang Daro, Chandneen Jagir, Garhee Jagir, Mirpur, Nawab Kalhoro, Khando, Potho, Warah and Bisharat Kalhoro. In these areas standing crop of wheat has almost dried up.

People in the affected areas alleged that influentials at the head of Madeij, Hakim Shah and Garhi regulators had erected hurdles to irrigate their own lands at the cost of others in the tail ends of Warah branch.

According to another report, the drought had drastically affected following villages: Miyani, Karamullah Chandio, Mirpur, Sakhani, Nangdaro, Lal Buriro, Hur Kot, Pandhi Chloyani, Lashkari Lashari, Gur Wahan, Qasim Cholyani, Jehan Khan Mrafani, Hoat Khan Chandio, Karohar and Ghulam Hussain Ambani.

ONE KILLED: One person died and four houses were burnt in village Imdad Khoso near Shahdadkot on Monday. The deceased was identified as Mubarak Ali (9).

DACOITS: To eliminate dacoits and uproot their hideouts, an anti-dacoits operation has been launched in Larkana, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Jacobabad district simultaneously.