SUKKUR, July 22: Action has been taken against 150 persons, FIRs have been registered against a large number of farmers and dozens of others have been arrested on charges of water theft in six districts of upper Sindh.

This was stated by Colonel Tahir Ikhlas of the Shahbaz Rangers while speaking at a press conference at the office of the chief engineer, Guddu Barrage, here on Thursday.

He observed that water reached at the tail-end since the Rangers' launched the campaign against water theft.

He said Sindh faced water shortage but if judicious distribution of water was ensured, tail-end farmers would receive water.

Answering a question, Col Ikhlas said no action had been taken against officials as yet but it had been decided that irrigation officials and landlords, against whom water theft cases were proved, would be taken to task.

He said if any officer was found involved in water theft, his case would be referred to irrigation authorities for action.

He said he would recommend to the government not to grant bail to people involved in water theft.

Col Ikhlas said Rangers' personnel were monitoring the irrigation system in Sukkur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Larkana, Khairpur and Nawabshah districts.

He said they had closed four illegal minors, taken from the Khairpur Canal, and had initiated action against people responsible.

When asked why action had not been taken against irrigation officials in this regard, he said they had submitted a report to high-ups of the department and it was up to them now to take action against the officials.

He told the press conference that fish farms, receiving water from the Ghotki Minor illegally, had been closed. He added that 267 small modules had also been closed in the six districts. He further said 269 approved modules of small size, which were broadened by owners, had also been brought to their original size.

Col Ikhlas said Rangers' personnel and irrigation officials raided many channels in the Shikarpur district on Wednesday night and closed 57 illegal modules - 10 modules from the Warah Branch, 33 modules from the Sindh Canal, four from the Dadu Canal and 10 from the Garhi Branch.

He said cases against 38 farmers had been registered at the Faiz Ganj police station. He said FIRs against 52 persons had also been registered at different police stations in Ghotki and Ubauro. He said a campaign against water theft would also be launched in Balochistan.

OFFICIALS SELLING WATER: Farmers held a protest demonstration at the Rehbar Chowk in Kashmor on Thursday against irrigation officials for allegedly selling water to influential people.

Led by Naib Nazim Gahi Khan, Councillor Nazar Mohammad Kandrani and Majeed Noonari, the protesters staged a sit-in at the chowk for two hours.

They demanded that the Sindh irrigation minister should visit Kashmor, Jacobabad and Kandhkot, where the Moosa Allah Abad Shakh was without water.

Meanwhile, the chief engineer, Guddu Barrage, Jawed Talbani, claimed that no complaint had been received against water shortage from farmers and that water was being provided to tail-end areas of canals.

He denied that there was a shortage of water in channels of the Guddu Barrage. He appealed to people to cooperate with Rangers' personnel and irrigation officials in their campaign against water theft.