SANGHAR, Feb 28: Residents of Al-Mansoora Colony blocked the Sinjhoro road and burnt tyres on Friday to protest against the apathy of the sanitation staff in taking steps to clear choked gutters and stop leakage of sewage into water lines.

The protesters complained that they had been requesting taluka municipal officers for the last two weeks but no one seemed willing to redress their grievances.

They said the residents were getting filthy and bad-smelling water due to the mixing of sewage while adding that the streets were submerged under gutter water.

Union councillors said power supply to the drainage system had been disconnected owing to non-payment of dues which was causing the gutters to overflow.

Taluka Nazim Abdul Waheed Nizamani, while negotiating with the protesters, said sanitary staff was busy in opening the gutters and the sewage would be pumped out in the next two days.

On his assurance, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

ESCAPE: An under-trail prisoner, Tasleem Shaikh, escaped when he was brought to the district court on Friday for a hearing in a robbery case.

Taking advantage of a scuffle between UTPs and the police in the court premises, Tasleem managed to take off his handcuffs and escaped.

The police came to know of the escape after the hearing when the UTPs were counted and he was found missing.

Police parties were dispatched to search for him.